Mudblood Slytherin
by Jeanne St. Croix
Summary: Kyra starts to get real close to Severus, but Lucius still attracts her and the Dark Lord has plans for her. What will happen? Read and find out!
1. Another year, another struggle

A/N: Let's see… I'm not exactly a HP fan, but I happen to like Snape very much, so I'll focus on him and my OC. You will also find Dumbledore, L. Malfoy and others. When I started this fic I had only read the first two books, so there aren't many references to what happens at Hogwarts in the books, hope you don't mind. 

I'd like to thank Laurus and Drach, my faithful friends who helped me a lot with this. I'd like to dedicate this story to you two, girls! 

Now, if you think you might find it interesting, read it and once you've read it, would you please review???? I love all kinds of feedback, since it feeds the muses.

**Chapter one: Another year, another struggle.**

Kyra Gardner was back at Hogwarts for her seventh and last year there. Now she was Head Girl. That meant a lot more responsibilities, but Kyra thrived on that. Besides, she would have her own room, which equaled privacy and peace. It was still in the Slytherin Tower, but had its individual entrance.

Smiling, she turned to admire it. It was huge, almost as spacious as the Slytherin dorm rooms and was decorated in green and silver, to match her House colors. The four-poster bed stood in the middle and had night tables on either side. There were a comfy couch, two chairs in front of the fireplace and the rest of the space was taken up by a large armoire, a dresser, a desk and a bookcase, now full of her favorite reading material. What she liked the most about the room was the huge window that occupied half a wall and offered a great view of the lake and the gardens. 

Her bathroom was also very roomy. She loved its garden tub, deep enough to hold plenty of water and large enough that she could float in it. It reminded her of the one she had at her L.A. home and that helped her feel less homesick.

Kyra was so close to her parents that leaving them to attend first year at Hogwarts had been the hardest thing she had had to do in her life and now the separation still hurt a bit. Kyra remembered when her first displays of magical powers had started to occur and her parent's support. Everything had turned crystal clear as she received the letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at the age of eleven.

There was no one in her family that had had the slightest relation with magic; that was why the letter had come as a huge surprise. It had been immediately decided that she would go to Hogwarts and learn about her capabilities. 

Along with the letter, she had received a short note indicating the address of Genevieve Ingram, a former Hogwarts student who lived in London. Upon Kyra's arrival, Genevieve had taken her to Diagon Alley to get her magical supplies, including a lovely white owl, which Kyra had named Isis. She had also explained her everything about the school and even accompanied her to the train station.

Kyra had boarded Hogwarts Express with all the anxiety she was able to feel, with thousands of dreams, not knowing that an uphill climb was waiting for her. Especially after having been sorted into Slytherin.

As if being the only muggle-born member of Slytherin attending Hogwarts at that time wasn't hard enough, she had become its most brilliant student and for the proud members of Slytherin, being outsmarted by a 'mudblood' was a deadly offense. Now, Kyra had many flaws, she could be selfish, arrogant and short tempered, but being outcasted because of her origins? No, she wasn't going to tolerate that. Every time someone snapped at her, she snapped back ten times more venomously. Needless to say, she didn't have many friends, if any at all, inside her own House.

However, she had found three great friends, who didn't care about the 'impurity' of her blood or about her being American. They were two Gryffindors and a Ravenclaw and Kyra, even though she possessed most of the Slytherin personality traits and considered her House superior to all, wasn't that derisive about the others.

John Andrew Reid had been the first student to talk to her. They had shared a compartment at the Hogwarts Express and by the time of the Sorting Ceremony, they had become good friends. That didn't change after it, even though they had been sorted into different and rival Houses.

He was tall, a bit thin, with soulful gray eyes and ruffled mahogany hair. He was never shy when it came to displaying his feelings and Kyra simply adored him. He had several defects, like his recklessness, but she accepted them as a part of her friend. For six years, she had spent every minute of spare time with him and with her other two friends: Marianne and Hélène. They had become 'the fantastic four', as the Slytherins disdainfully called them.

The first thing Kyra had thought upon seeing Hélène Dupont was that she didn't seem very friendly. They had been standing outside the Great Hall, when she spotted a pretty girl with coffee-brown eyes standing a bit apart from the rest of the crowd. It seemed like she was distant, but Ky wasn't sure, maybe she was just nervous.

With all the excitement, she forgot about her until she saw her at the library after their memorable first Potions class. Professor Snape had asked them to write a paper on the forgetfulness potion and, preconceptions torn apart, they were working together in less than an hour.

She was an entirely different person once you got to know her. Hélène was trustworthy and straightforward, a true Gryffindor and also very fun to be with. Kyra was amazed to find they had a lot in common. Even though she could be pretty judgmental at times, they had the same viewpoints and tastes. 

Kyra had met her other best friend, Marianne Bennet, when she had defended her from a prankster Peeves, who was terrorizing the poor girl. She had seemed a bit shy at first, but in time she had proved to be the most caring girl she had ever met and the fact of her being a Ravenclaw didn't matter to Kyra. The entire opposite, she had found her ideal study mate.

Romantic Marianne enjoyed spending her free time reading and writing, her favorite stories where about brave knights in shining armors. Everything about her was soft and gentle, from her long chestnut hair and hazel eyes to the grace of her manners. She wasn't perfect, no, she had a tendency to take things too seriously, but sometimes that was a good thing.

And now… it was their last year together. Kyra sighed at the thought of having to part from them, since she and John had decided to apply for Salem University in the States, while Marianne and Hélène would remain in Europe. They had shared so many things during their time at Hogwarts, enjoying the good moments as a team and remaining like that during the hard ones.

And speaking of hard times, Kyra had to admit the first two years at Hogwarts had been incredibly tough. She missed her country and her parents; but her excellent academic development had helped her earn the good concept of all teachers, while the fact that she earned her House more points than anyone ever had had made her, if not popular, at least respected.

Kyra loved magic, she knew she carried it in her blood and soul. She found her lessons extremely interesting and Potions was on top of all of them. Kyra had always been keen on Chemistry and she had found out that most potions were based on that. Smiling to herself, she made a mental note not to mention that in front of Severus Snape. The man was such an exasperating purist! But she had to admit her Head of the House was equally, if not even more, interesting than the subject he taught.

She had gotten to like all her teachers and even developed a bond with some of them. But Snape… there was something in his dark wizard looks that fascinated her and that sadness he allowed his eyes to show when he thought no one was looking made Kyra crave for getting to know his deepest secrets. And she sensed he had many.

Now, there was nothing in the way in which he had treated her for the last six years that could have softened her heart towards him; he had always been so distant, cold and sarcastic that Kyra had had to suppress the urge to slap him senseless a couple of times. She understood why most students disliked him.

As for Kyra, well, she didn't know what to think of the man. He was an enigma to her. He terrorized his students, often reducing many of the girls to tears. His sarcasm was a formidable weapon for that and no one was left untouched by it. 

For her part, Kyra flourished under his teachings. He could be sour and caustic, but he was also undeniably brilliant in his chosen field and she could tell he was pleased by her performance, not that he ever let it show. The exact opposite, he would always challenge her, try to catch her off guard and make her slip; that had never happened and long ago, she had surrendered to the urge to challenge him back. And the look of warning in his eyes had simply encouraged her boldness.

She could tell he hadn't liked that at first, but now it had become like a game. A game which would start on Wednesday, but now she had to focus on the Welcome Feast, since she knew her friends were already waiting for her. Tucking a strand of rebellious hair back in the braid, she ran out of her room.

***

She was back. He had seen her during the Welcome Feast; the black of her robes had seemed to stick out from the crowd. Yes, he had seen her. In fact, she was all he saw; Snape hadn't been able to make his eyes leave the girl's figure. As if she had sensed that, she had lifted her gaze to the Head Table. He had tried to look away, but she must have caught a glimpse of him staring at her because she looked straight into his eyes and smiled. A kind, charming smile.

He bit his lower lip. Snape had to admit he had been smitten by her at that very moment. No one, well, maybe Albus, had ever showed kindness towards him without having a deeper reason to. And this was the first time he had noticed how beautiful she really was. Or maybe he had never allowed himself to notice that before. 

Sighing, he recalled the way she looked. Her braided hair was raven black and some strands had broken loose form it, caressing a tanned skin as smooth as the finest porcelain. Her facial structure revealed delicate cheekbones and a straight, elegant nose. One could tell, even now, that those features would become more refined with age. Her eyes were her most arresting attributes: a deep blue beneath expressive black brows. 

But she had never given the impression of being narcissistic, even though he had found out that her family had more muggle money than could be spent in hundreds of years and had never lacked of male company for any Ball.

Truth was, he had always admired her inquisitive mind, her sharp intellect and her thirst for knowledge, even though she seemed to possess lots of it. He also liked it when she allowed her dark side and evil temper to show, like the time in which Draco Malfoy's chair had suspiciously disappeared at the very moment he was about to sit after he had given her a hard shove (the fact that the boy was 5 years younger than her didn't seem to matter) or when another Slytherin's potion had 'accidentally' exploded, bathing the boy in green ooze, after he had called her 'mudblood'. And, even though he hadn't like it at the beginning, he had grown very fond of the little game they played during his classes. 

Since she was always the first one to finish any assigned task, he would try to slow her down by asking her the most difficult questions he could think about while she was working. She would always answer impeccably and, much to his surprise the first times, she would then ask him to elaborate some more on the topic. It had come to a point in which he had to consult several books before dictating his class in case she asked for something very specific and he ended up looking like a fool for not knowing how to reply.

Severus Snape didn't have all the answers, but he would be damned if he ever admitted that.

After that dinner, he had seen her a couple more times in the corridors, but she had been too engulfed by her friend's company as to notice his presence. And now it was Wednesday, time for his Double Potions class with Gryffindor and Slytherin. She would be there…

Startling himself, he slammed his fist on the countertop cursing.

' Damn her, and damn myself.' Rubbing his forehead and clenching his fist he decided then and there that he would stay away from her. ' The last thing she needs is being stalked by someone like me.'

*** 

There'll be plenty of interaction between Sev and Ky in the next chapter, I swear! If you would like to be notified when I post it, as well as the next chapters, let me know and I'll be happy to send you an email.

Thanks for reading!

Now, to my Forgive or Forget reviewers, first of all, I'd like to thank you a lot for taking the time to drop me a comment.

Linda, my first reviewer! I'm really glad you liked it and I hope you enjoy its prequel.

Kelest, sorry for the cliffie! But I'll make it up for it, cross my heart and hope to die!

Misty, many thanx for your kind words!

Drachenaugen, my Sevvie is sweet, what can I say? But I hope you'll understand him a bit more once you've read this story.


	2. Green potions, red potions

**Chapter two: Green potions, red potions.**

After breakfast at the Slytherin table, Kyra joined her friends as they strolled towards the dungeons for their first Double Potions class of the year. Having two of her best friends in the same class was great. Even though they weren't supposed to talk, they would whisper something to each other from time to time and their mere presence was comforting.

" It's so good to be together again!" Sighed John as he wrapped one arm around Kyra's waist.

" Yeah, too bad that under circumstances like the one you face today," observed Marianne sympathetically.

" Double Potions… what a drag!"

" I know, Hélène, but at least we'll learn something," lectured Kyra.

" Like what, how to survive another two hours of Snape's abuse?" Asked John.

" Maybe he won't insult us this year…" Suggested a very hopeful Kyra.

" Sure, then he'll start giving out Chocolate Frogs…" Added Hélène in a friendly mocking tone.

" I was just saying that…"

" We know," interrupted Marianne. " But you are the only one who has faith in the man. I think you like him." The look John gave Marianne was enough to silence her. Actually, if looks could kill, the girl would have been six feet under.

But Marianne knew her. In their fifth year, they had both been elected Prefects and Kyra smiled as she recalled how much fun they had had during the meetings or when patrolling the school at night. Not only it had been a great honor, but also a good opportunity to spend time with Marianne. Problem was, it looked as is she had got to know her a bit too well.

" Oh, shut up!" Answered Kyra, trying to appear angry, but failing miserably. " I was just hoping that because I have classes with him four times a week!"

" My dear Ky, you won't make it through this year!" Joked Marianne.

" He's not that bad really…" Started Kyra.

" He's nothing but an overbearing, insufferable git!" Exclaimed John.

" I don't know how you can say that after how he's kept second-guessing you all these years."

" He needs to do that, Hélène. I think he wants to know if I'm paying attention."

" Or maybe he just needs to get laid," was John's flat comment.

" John!" Reprimanded Marianne. " He's our teacher and, no matter how dreadful he acts, we have to show him some respect."

" Sure," was his unabashed reply.

" Oh, pay no attention to him. He's just grouchy because I beat him at wizard's chess," said Kyra.

The girls laughed right at his face and he growled before engulfing his three friends with his arms and started tickling them until he was sure he had got his revenge. Still laughing, they continued until they reached the stairs that went down to the dungeons.

" I leave you here, I have Advanced Astrology Theory."

" OK, Marianne, see you at the library later." As Hélène greeted the Ravenclaw, Kyra looked at her watch and realized they had only two minutes left before their class.

" Oh, guys, look at the time!" John's eyes widened as he glanced at his own.

" Bugger, I don't want detention on the first day!" He knew about that, since he seemed to get in trouble for just breathing.

Truth was, teachers felt great liking for the warm and persistent boy. But he just didn't seem to notice elemental things such as the passing of time (his most common phrase was: " X PM already?") or the fact that teachers were teachers, not friends. That last had come to a head when he once patted Snape on the back and let out a " How are you today, my man?" Needless to say, the Potions Master hadn't appreciated that and John had spent a nice amount of hours scrubbing cauldrons. 

Hélène was also used to getting them. With her straightforward nature and her tendency to speak now, think later, she had become Snape's favorite detention recipient. On the other hand, Marianne and Kyra rarely got detentions. They had only had two each in all their time at Hogwarts. Marianne's were both due to arriving late to classes, after having spent all night studying at the library, while Kyra's were a result of a slip of control over her flare-up temper.

" Then I suggest we hurry," stated Hélène cheerily. She was always the optimist, no matter how harsh things were.

The three of them started running towards the dungeons, arriving at the potions class with only a few seconds to spare and very short of breath. Kyra noticed Professor Snape glare at her with a scowl on his face, but took no notice of it. She separated from her friends and went to her table, next to the rest of the Slytherins. 

" Take a seat, take a seat," Snape called dryly. As soon as everyone was sat, he went on. " Since today is the first day after your holidays, I expect to find you all out of practice. Dunderheads, you must have spent all your time doing nothing!" 

Kyra felt John's eyes burning her back and suppressed her sudden urge to laugh.

" Anyway," Professor Snape continued. " Today you will be making a potion according to your level of education: an illusion-provoking potion." As a low chorus of apprehensive voices rose, Snape went on, obviously pleased at the impact of his words. " I know you think you will only end making fools of yourselves and you probably will, unless you have studied in your holidays. You will work individually and, oh, I will be giving _no_ instructions. You all have books, and I expect you can read." 

No one moved and he glared. " Well?! Hop to it! And no speaking!"

Sighing, Kyra opened her book and flipped through its pages until she found the directions for that specific potion. It was a tough one, she could tell by the huge amount of ingredients and the rigid sequence of steps to make it. However, she had always been good at the subject and was the first one to finish the potion. While she added the last touches, she looked around and found Snape staring at her. Kyra shifted a bit, uncomfortable, as that steady gaze seemed to be reaching into her very soul.

" Already finished, Miss Gardner?" He asked, approaching her slowly, like a hunter who knows his prey has nowhere to run.

" Oh, hello Professor," she greeted with a bold smile that annoyed him to no end.

" Good morning, Miss Gardner. Are we done with the polite formulas already?" Was his question, filled with sarcasm.

" No… how have you spent your holidays?"

" That is some cheek you have… I have asked if you have finished!" This time, he growled.

" Yes, I have," she said, directing her eyes to the cauldron. It was filled with a thick substance colored in a dark shade of red.

" Let's see," he said, leaning toward her slightly and breathing in the delicious scent of her hair. It smelled like raspberries and vanilla. Intoxicating, really.

' Damn it, control yourself!' He said to himself as he tried to focus on inspecting the potion. Snape knew that it was the exact hue it was supposed to present and he was glad to know she possessed the skills to brew such and advanced potion. Still, he didn't want to let the opportunity of ridiculing her pass.

" Class, everyone look here!" He commanded, pointing at Kyra's cauldron. " Looks like Miss Gardner has managed to brew a perfect illusion-provoking potion. Thank you for dazzling us with your knowledge," he said mockingly, turning back to her. " Twenty points to Slytherin," he finally announced and a cheer rouse from the Slytherin table.

Still, Snape needed to push her a little further. " Would you dare to try it?"

" Only if you have the antidote handy, Professor. I'm not very fond of illusions," she stated.

" Are you that confident about your work?"

" Yup."

" Beg you pardon?" Kyra cleared her throat.

" I mean, yes, Sir," she said, now respectfully. She didn't want him to get mad at her.  And then she heard Hélène's moan; everyone turned to see her potion had turned a vibrant shade of green.

A few Slytherins laughed and Kyra could feel Snape's grim satisfaction literally oozing from him.

" Back to work, everyone," he commanded. " Miss Gardner, collect a vial of your potion and follow me."

Kyra did as told and ended up next to Hélène's cauldron, where Snape was slowly inspecting her potion. He took her vial and held it in front of the Gryffindor's nose.     

" Tell me, Miss Dupont, what color is this?" He asked.

" Red, dark red," was Hélène's answer. She liked being as exact as she could when it came to describing potions' colors.

" Do you agree, Miss Gardner?" The Potions Master inquired, staring fixedly at her. 

" Yes, sir." He then turned back to Hélène.

" And what color is your potion?"

" Green…" Started Hélène, blushing a little.

" Again, is that correct, Miss Gardner?"

" Yes, Professor," replied Kyra, a bit more harshly this time. She didn't care for him ridiculing her friend.

" Then what is your conclusion, Miss Dupont?"

" Sir," she said, in a low voice, " I think…"

" Oh, you do?" The Potions Master cut her off. " That's wonderful!" Biting back a sarcastic comeback of her own, Hélène finished her sentence.

" I must have done something wrong."

" Merlin bless your sharp sense of observation!" He mocked. " In which step exactly?"

" Maybe I added three porcupine quills instead of two." Hélène wanted to kick herself for that. She was never that careless, but that morning she was really sleepy. She had spent her holidays at Romania, where the Ministry had placed her father in order to establish fruitful relations with the wizards there and she was still adjusting to the time difference.

" I want you to correct it before this class is over or you will be coming every morning at six to be instructed on the basic numbers: 1,2,3, to name a few," he threatened. " Understood?"

" Yes, sir." Hélène was relieved, at least he hadn't taken any points from…

" And ten points from Gryffindor!" He growled.

She was about to protest when she felt Kyra's hand on her arm. Sighing, she followed her friend's unspoken advice and remained silent. Still, she couldn't control the venomous glare she shot Snape.

Kyra couldn't blame Hélène for being angry, but why did she had to have such expressive eyes? They definitely didn't help her situation, since they were telling the Potions Master how much it would please her to see him rot in hell.

It didn't go unnoticed to Snape. " Looks like you've lost Gryffindor another ten points," he said, and Kyra could tell he was very pleased for having provoked that. " And give me that look one more time, Miss Dupont and you will be spending the rest of the academic year scrubbing cauldrons," he threatened.

After arrogantly glowering at the now discouraged Gryffindor, he then turned to Ky. " Return to your seat, Miss Gardner," was Snape's dry command.

Nodding obediently, Kyra dedicated Hélène a warm smile and went back to stand next to her cauldron. The smile hadn't quite vanished from her lips when he turned to her.

" Do you find my punishments amusing, Miss Gardner?" He snapped.

" Oh, no, Professor," she answered silkfully. " I was just caught in my own thoughts about the similarities between one and the mirage-inducing potion used by the ancient Egyptian wizards." 

Snape was truly, completely and positively amazed. That particular potion was mentioned in very few texts and it surprised him that she knew about it. Still, he would have died before admitting his wonder.

" And exactly what part of that thought made you smile?" He asked, a bit less callously.

" Well, I've always loved Egypt." For a second, Severus thought she was mocking him, but after staring at her for a good minute, he realized the comment had been perfectly earnest.

That marveled him. The girl was unafraid of him, of anyone, if he had to guess. There was something that was strange about her, she seemed to be very self confident, as well as bright and able to express herself respectfully. She also gave the impression of being, unlike most Slytherins, kind and thoughtful. She was one in a million, he could see that much. Whatever was strange about her, though, didn't keep Professor Snape from testing her once again.

" Then you will not mind writing a 1000-word paper on their ancient magical practices and rituals, will you?"

' What a bastard…' " No, Professor, not at all. When should I hand it in?"

" How about tomorrow? That is, of course, if it doesn't come in the way of your Inter-House socializing."

A few barely concealed laughs coming from the Slytherins made John go rigid. She saw a killer stare settle in his eyes and knew he was about to explode. Oh, yeah, he was her knight in armor. He was always there to 'fight for her honor'. Kyra still remembered last year's duel in the astronomy tower between him and a Slytherin who had summoned a black scorpion and attached it to her robes. She had gone almost hysterical and John, well, he couldn't stand it.

If it hadn't been for Dumbledore's extreme kindness and the fact that he had absolutely no family, John would have in out on his ass in next to no time. But he had only endured two months of detention and had been given a severe warning not to break another school rule. Ever again. The other boy wasn't so lucky, though. Let's just say he wasn't at Hogwarts anymore.

Not that that had kept John from going into a fistfight with another Slytherin that very same year, after the prick had been talking trash about her. Luckily, no one had found out and he had gotten away with nothing but Hélène, Marianne and Kyra's severe reprimands. They knew he only meant good, but that wasn't the way things should be handled.

Sensing that he could actually make a scene right there, Kyra hurried to reply, " Of course not, Professor."

He nodded dryly and the class went on, while Kyra collected several vials of her potion and thanked God for calming John down. Five minutes before the end of the class, Severus addressed the students once more.

" Now," he started, raising his voice a bit. " Don't expect the next classes to be as easy as this one. I'd recommend you to spend all your days studying as if this was your only subject or… well, you will fail."            

" Miss Dupont, present a vial of your potion to me. NOW."

Hélène took a sample of the now dark red potion and then handed it to Snape, while she clutched the small piece of parchment Kyra had subtly slid to her.

// Hélène, to reverse the effect of the extra porcupine quill add the potion 1 dusted cobweb. Then, stir it counterclockwise for 30 seconds. Be careful, don't let the Prof see this note. Good luck, Ky.//

Severus watched the vial and his scowl deepened.

" How did you fix it?" He inquired caustically.

" I added a dusted cobweb and then stirred the potion counterclockwise for 30 seconds," answered Hélène, repeating Kyra's instructions.

He dismissed her with a wave of his hand and Hélène sighed in relief as she gave Kyra a 'thank you for saving my life' look.

" For those of you who haven't been able to brew such a simple concoction and have forced me to endure such a disgusting display of failure, I want 5 feet of parchment on this potion, its uses, and how it came to be brewed for the first time. Include also research on its antidote and side effects," he announced. " I want it for Friday. Class dismissed." Grumbles erupted, as the students were disappointed after having hoped Snape wouldn't give them so much homework. It was, after all, only their first class.

Shaking her head, Kyra took her bag and almost ran out of the dungeon in the company of John and Hélène, but Snape's voice stopped her in her tracks. 

" Oh, Miss Gardner, I need a word with you."


	3. I've got nowhere to run from you

**Chapter three: ****I've got nowhere to run from you.**

Kyra made no reply. Instead, she stopped walking towards the door and turned to face him. John and Hélène did the same and to Snape it looked as if they had assumed their fighting positions, ready to protect her from him.

" Funny, I don't recall having three students under the name of 'Miss Gardner'," he said mordantly, glaring at the two Gryffindors.

" It's alright, guys, you go. I'll see ya at the Great Hall," she whispered, not wanting them to get in trouble.

" Yes, I will not compromise Miss Gardner's morals or anything of the like," he assured with a sneer.

John had to suppress a disgusted snort, as he and Hél stared at Snape for a few seconds before turning to leave. " We'll be at the door," he said.

" And don't you two even bother listening," snapped their Professor. 

They didn't need to be told twice and shot out of the room, leaving their friend to face an uncertain fate. They didn't go too far, though, they just stayed at the corridor, waiting for Kyra.

" What a touching display of loyalty!" Snape mocked.

Kyra bit her tongue to stop herself from retorting, disappointing him. He was up to a verbal fight. When she remained silent, his usual scowl deepened. He still didn't know why he had asked her to stay behind... well, maybe he did, but he refused to admit it. He wanted to spend a bit of time alone with her...

' Absurd, that's what you are,' he told himself.

Noticing Kyra was staring at him, unsure of what to do, he signaled for her to follow. She did and they entered his office. Severus sat behind his desk.

" Sit, Miss Gardner," he commanded.

She complied and took the chair that was in front of him. Truth was, Kyra feared she was there to be reprimanded for helping Hélène. That was why his following words surprised her.

" You have been studying during the summer, haven't you?" He asked.

" Not really, Professor. I know I should have, but…" She trailed off. ' But I preferred to sunbathe and go shopping,' was the end of her sentence, but that would have enraged her teacher and Kyra chose to remain silent.

" Then how did you manage to brew the potion so promptly?"

" I don't know. I never know," she said, looking down.

" You must have read something previously to the class..." Suggested Snape.

" We are not going to go through this again, are we?" Asked Kyra, a bit more harshly than she had intended. She was recalling all those times in which she had had to go to Dumbledore's office and answer hundreds of questions on how she knew everything she knew, how much time she spent studying and things like that. 

She had realized that some teachers suspected she cheated on her exams. It had been insulting at first and she hadn't had any trouble in voicing that, but in time and, after a good amount of pop quizzes and unexpected questions during the classes, it had been obvious that she wasn't a cheater. She was intelligent, that was all.

" What exactly are you talking about?" He asked. She knew that tone and it meant danger. Still, it didn't stop her from speaking her mind.

" You know, when you all suspected I cheated," she stated.

" I never…" Snape couldn't finish as she lifted an eyebrow in a slightly challenging gesture. " Fine, I will not lie to you. However, Miss Gardner, you must acknowledge that the entire situation was... is rather perplexing."

" I am aware of that, Sir and I understand, but it was a bit unfair, don't you think?" The only answer she got from him was a noncommittal grunt.

Kyra smiled at that. " Is there anything else you wish to discuss with me, Professor?" 

" Are you in a hurry?" He asked, brusquely.

" No, I was just... asking," came her soft reply.

" Indeed, there is another matter I'd like to talk about with you."

" What is it?"

" I was wondering if you would be interested in assisting me with a particular potion I need to brew," he said, looking at her intently to see her reaction.

" Sure!" She answered without thinking twice. The idea of assisting the extremely talented Potions Master was a great honor for her.

Her immediate conformity surprised Snape. He was expecting her to accept, of course, but only after some hesitation and even annoyance. 

" May I ask what potion is it?" Asked Kyra. Might as well know what she was getting herself into.

" _Veritaserum_." This time, Severus was mildly amused at her reaction (not that he let it show). Her eyes widened and her smile turned into a grin.

" Wow…" She mumbled. ' Veritaserum, what a great opportunity to learn. And to spend some time with him... hey, where did that come from?' 

Snape was staring at her, sizing her up. " Do you think you will be up to the challenge, Miss Gardner?" He inquired. The man enjoyed defying her, that was for sure.

" I will try, Sir. When do you need me?" She asked, good-naturedly.

That was a question that made Snape's heart skip a beat. (Yeah, he does have a heart). Shaking his head, angry at how his own body betrayed him, he looked at Kyra.

He seemed so irate that his gaze made her flinch a little. That infuriate him even more, he hadn't meant to scare her.

" Today would be ideal..." He hinted.

" I'm free for some hours before dinnertime," offered Kyra with a sweet smile.

" Don't you have schoolwork?" 

' Mmmmm... let me think, 3 feet of parchment on the 1789 Wizards Convention or spending the afternoon with you and a nice, bubbling cauldron?' The choice was obvious.

" It can wait. Is 3 PM OK with you?"

" Yes, it is most convenient," agreed Snape. He was already anxious to get started. Thinking back, he couldn't recall when was the last time he had been that expectant about anything.

" Great, I'll see you then," she said as a goodbye.

He nodded and watched her race outside his office, shining black hair streaming out behind her. Snape felt a slight warmth around his body.

' She certainly is beautiful,' he thought to himself. ' And she wants to spend some of her time with you. Not Reid or anyone else, just you.'

***

Kyra hurried through lunch and her usually long shower after the afternoon flying lesson. She felt thrilled, but couldn't pinpoint why. What she knew was that she spent an unusual time in front of the mirror, pulling her hair into a very flattering French twist ponytail, applying make-up and checking her uniform and robes were in mint condition. Because she was going to be with him.

' Geez Kyra, you're really fucked up,' she told her reflection. It just smiled back. Seeing that she had to hurry if she didn't want to be late, she darted out of her bedroom and sped through the corridors. 

Apparently, the Highest Powers were against her as she slumped against John right before going down to the dungeons. She hadn't told her friends anything about her appointment with Snape. They just wouldn't understand.

" Sugar, where are you going?" He asked.

" I have to help Professor Snape with a potion. See ya later!" She said, without even pausing her run. Johnny frowned as he lost sight of her.

Kyra stormed inside the classroom and found Severus sitting behind his desk, staring at the wall clock.

" You are late," he stated, without even looking at her.

" I know, Professor, and I'm very sorry, but Madame Hooch's lesson took longer than I had expected," she lied. Kyra couldn't tell him the real reason for her tardiness was her utter idiocy.

" That doesn't make up for the fact that you've wasted five minutes of my life," he said with a sneer. ' Time I could have spent torturing students,' he mentally added.

" I'm really sorry, Professor," she whispered humbly.

" Well, there is no point in dwelling on that, let's get to work."

" OK."

They worked in silence for a good long while. Kyra would consult the instructions from time to time as she collected, powdered, sliced and processed the ingredients. Snape worked by the large cauldron, inspecting the items she passed him at his request, before adding them to the blend.

" Come here and help me stir, Miss Gardner," he said, breaking the silence.

Kyra complied immediately. It was his tone that moved her more than the request itself. All his students and those who had worked with him before had heard it at least once. The potion had turned very consistent and she knew that it needed to be mixed energetically, that was why it was better if two people took care of that.

Severus stepped aside and Kyra stood next to him. They both took the stirrer and began working it through the thick substance in circular motions. She was a bit distracted by the heat that radiated from his body and the scent of spices his robes emanated, while he was simply mesmerized by how his body reacted to her proximity, her warmth. They were both lost in the moment, up to a point in which the club remained unmoved and they just stared at each other, flames dancing in their eyes.  

His gaze deviated to her full lips. He was so hungry he could almost taste her. But then, he came to his senses and was horrified to find how close he was to trespassing every single rule. The haze in her eyes told him she seemed willing to do so and, for a moment he felt a flicker of hope, but then he remembered what he looked like and how despicable he was and attributed it to his own imagination.

" I think we better keep the powdered roots of asphodel handy, in case the potion starts bubbling out of control," he said, breaking the spell.

" OK, I'll get them," Kyra offered. She was still a bit disheveled by what had transpired between them and used that as an excuse to get away from him. Not that she liked the idea, but she needed to clear her mind.

" Hummm... Professor... I think there aren't anymore left," she informed, after a while of going through the cabinets.

" What? Let me see," he said and joined her in the search. After checking every single jar, they gave up. " Mighty cauldrons!" He hissed under his breath. An explosion of laughter coming from his student surprised him to no end.          

" Miss Gardner?" More laughs. " Miss Gardner!" She looked up at him, still chortling. " What is it?" He demanded.

He had to wait for a while until Kyra caught her breath and was finally in shape for answering him.

" It's just that, you know, 'mighty cauldrons', that was sooo funny," she said and stared laughing again.

" I am unaccustomed to have people finding humor in my observations," Snape stated flatly.

" True, comedy isn't exactly your strong point, Professor. Still you have your moments…" There was a mischievous glimpse in her eyes.

" Such as?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her comment.

" This one. You totally sounded like Robin."

He eyed her quizzically. " Who?" 

" Robin, from Batman and Robin..." The only answer she got was a blank expression. " You know, the comics..." More blankness. " DC, Marvel..." Even more blankness. " Ummm... never mind," she gave up.

" Are you mocking me, Miss Gardner?" Asked Snape who had no idea if he was supposed to laugh, cry, be angry or congratulate her.

" No, Professor, of course not!" She replied softly and then decided it would be better to change the subject. " Now, without the asphodel we won't be able to counteract the misuse of any other component, right?"

" Indeed. I do not understand how could I have been so careless... Well, considering we do not have that ingredient, we better be very careful not to ruin the batch."

" OK, Sir."

Without another word, they went on working keeping safe distance from each other. They both regretted that, but knew that was for the better. Kyra was growing more and more fascinated by how the potion was slowly starting to turn a murky brown.

" Tell me something, Professor, how can you stand to teach children who have no interest in Potions?" She asked, sounding as if she thought those children were complete morons. And she actually did.

He seemed pleased by her question. " You find ways, Miss Gardner. Taking house points off for no reason usually keeps them on their toes. They stay alert because they don't know when you're going to strike or why," Severus said with a malicious grin. " Then, you just have to hope they take some of what you're saying in."

" Now I understand... that's not a bad idea, actually," she recognized, joining him in his evil grin. Kyra still thought he was utterly unfair at times, but she decided not to bring that up. After all, he had opened a bit and she didn't want to spoil the moment.

Severus nodded and turned his attention back to the cauldron. 

" But why don't you ever take any points from me? I mean, apart from the fact that I'm a Slytherin," she insisted.

" Because, even though it looks like you enjoy defying me, at least you show interest in what I talk about." To her never-ending surprise he turned his head toward her and smiled, an actual, kind smile without a mocking slant at all.

Kyra thought she would faint. The man wasn't an Apollo, that was for sure, but he looked so much better when he smiled. He actually looked human. She smiled back and they locked gazes once again, feeling the electricity stirring in the air.

Shaking her head, Kyra broke the eye contact. She was still unsure of what she felt for the man and didn't want to get too carried away. Not yet, at least. " Oh man, look at the time!" She exclaimed after casually glancing at her watch.

It was dinnertime already and Kyra couldn't believe how fast time had gone by. Well, when Severus was with her, she wouldn't notice if a rainbow-colored dragon burst into the room and started to polka on top of his desk.

Snape was surprised as well. And a bit distraught by the fact she had looked away. He felt somewhat rejected and stupid for having felt like that.

" You may go, Miss Gardner. I will take it from now on," he said, as formally as he could.

" Won't you go get something to eat?" Was Kyra's kind question. He looked thin and she didn't want him to overwork himself.

Severus refused to believe she could actually care about him and dismissed her question with a wave of his hand. " I'm sure a house-elf will bring something to me."

" Are you positive? I can stay and take care of the stirring," she offered.

" That will not be necessary," Severus said curtly.

" OK, but if you need anything, I'll be at the Great Hall and then at my room."

" Very well, Miss Gardner. And twenty points to Slytherin for your valuable help."

" Bye, Professor, and thank you!" She said, beaming, before darting out of the room. She was surprised to realize she had had a pretty good time at the dungeons with him... and that moment when she had got lost in his beautiful eyes... ' Damn, Kyra, you are attracted to Snape. Big time,' her conscience told her. And she knew there was no point in arguing with it.

Severus couldn't turn away from where he'd last seen her leave, even as the brilliance of her presence began to fade, leaving him cold once again. He remained standing there for Merlin knows how long, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides, before getting back to work.

He knew that it would take him long to forget about that afternoon. And he wasn't sure he even wanted to.

***

Without even changing, Kyra ran to the Great Hall, applying a bit more lipstick and combing her fingers through her hair as she made her way towards it. Upon entering, she noticed her friends looking at her with inquiring looks she chose to ignore.

" Filthy Mudblood," she heard Draco Malfoy mumble as she approached the Slytherin Table.

' Oh, great, now children five years younger than me insult me as well,' Kyra though, both amused and exasperated. After her afternoon with Severus she felt so high, so above everything that the little git's insults didn't touch her.

But Kyra didn't know that Draco had been talking non-stop about her for the last two summers and his father was very curious about that 'mudblood' that had managed to outwit every student at Hogwarts.

An idea had started to form in Lucius Malfoy's mind, but it seemed so ludicrous that he feared voicing it. It was the foretold year and he knew the Shekhsmet Order had done everything they could to hide the creature... What if...? Research would have to be done and, if he were proven right, he would become the Dark Lord's favorite follower.


	4. A veela in my chambers

**Chapter four: A veela in my chambers.**

The next opportunity Severus had of being with her presented itself not too long after that afternoon in the dungeons. It was long after curfew and he had been patrolling the hallways, praying Merlin to send him a student he could torture and deduct house points from. As he paced the Slytherin domains, he was startled to find a vaporous figure, dressed entirely in white, standing in front of one of the windows.

There was no moon that night and the only light came from the tip of his wand. At that lack of lighting, the figure resembled a ghost. Thinking his imagination was playing tricks on him, he went closer to it and found it was a woman in a long nightgown that contrasted sharply against the dark color of her hair and created an aura of light around her. Now it looked like a veela... a brunette veela.

The fantastic creature turned and assumed the shape of on of his students.

" Miss Gardner?" He asked, completely startled.

" Oh, Professor… I was… I just… I couldn't sleep," she said, looking down, obviously preparing herself for the lecture that was about to come.

" That's no reason for wandering in the corridors," he stated, staring at her, still unable to believe how innocent and troubled she looked. The last was confirmed by her following words.

" I know, I'm sorry. I needed fresh air because of the nightmares."

" Nightmares?"

" Yes… I've tried everything but I can't get rid of them." Snape felt a wave of protectiveness wash over him, but he immediately suppressed it.

" Have you had them for too long?" He asked, almost sounding concerned.

" Since the first day I came to Hogwarts," whispered Kyra.

Severus was unreservedly taken aback by that. " But that was 6 years ago!" He exclaimed.

" I know… I would have them once a month or so. I didn't pay much attention to them anyway. But I've had one every single night since I returned after the holidays."

" Are you telling me you haven't had a decent night of sleep in two weeks?" There was disbelief in his voice.

" It's not that big of a deal, Professor, really," she said, trying to smile.

" Follow me," he commanded.

" Where are we going?"

" To my chambers," he informed her and started walking.

Kyra almost fainted at that. Maybe she was hallucinating. Yes, that had to be it… Snape couldn't have invited her to his room.

" Follow me, Miss Gardner," he insisted, after seeing she seemed to had been rooted to the spot and couldn't move.

' Well, apparently he did,' thought Kyra as she finally gathered the strength to follow her Head of the House. He walked with long strides and she almost had to run to keep up with him. After a while, she didn't even bother to try.

Snape stopped sensing her presence behind him and turned to see were she was. Angered to find her very delayed, he almost floated until he had her by his side once again.

" Is the lack of sleep affecting your walking speed, Miss Gardner?" He mocked.

" Oh, I like to walk slowly when the corridors are empty, it's a good chance to enjoy the castle. This place is magnificent, don't you think?"

" Indeed. But I have been here for such a long time I no longer pay attention to it," he confessed.

" Well, 6 years is also a pretty long time and I can still admire the castle's beauty," she remarked. A growl was all the answer she got from him. " OK, OK, Let's go, Professor Snape."

Nodding, he started leading the way once again. The lower they descended in the castle, the colder it got. Also, Kyra had a sense of foreboding, as if she was doing something forbidden that made her instinctively get closer to his figure. Severus didn't complain and they walked the rest of the way very near each other.

" Here we are," he announced, flickering his wand in front of an impressive oak door that stood tall and proud in the stone. 

That caused the door to open and Kyra was startled to find a well-furnished receiving room in black and silver. There were several beautiful black chairs accompanied by a small ebony table. The walls were lined with books, the remaining wall space adorned with several paintings of different forest and ocean sceneries bathed by the moonlight; some of the many candles were lit, dripping white wax onto elegant silver candlesticks. 

" Come on in, Miss Gardner," he called from inside. " Or you prefer to watch from the door?"

Smiling, Kyra stepped cautiously inside, surprised when her feet sunk into a plush, dark blue carpet. Directly in front of her was a fire; facing it was a black leather couch with two plush black armchairs arranged at its sides. She also noticed a mahogany desk inlaid with what appeared to be cherry wood standing against the wall at a ninety-degree angle to the couch. Behind the desk emerged a splendid chair, one of the tallest she had ever seen.

Kyra tried to imagine him sitting there, grading papers, but was almost immediately distracted by a light coming from an open door to her left. His bedroom. With a quick glance, she noticed that the stonewalls were decorated sparingly with magnificent tapestries. There was also a fire and another black armchair arranged in front of it. Off to the right, a large canopied bed decorated with dark blue and silver velvet hangings stood, mahogany nightstands on either side. 

' Well, some of my schoolmates will be disappointed. He doesn't sleep in a coffin after all,' she thought to herself. 

He was staring at her, studying her awed reaction. Severus couldn't believe she was there, that he had actually invited there.

" Take a seat," he commanded, pointing to the couch.

' Okay,' Kyra thought a bit amused. ' He's not what we may call a 'gracious host'.' However, she did as he told her and he sat on one of the large armchairs. He had moved it, so that they were facing each other.

" Now tell me, what is it you dream about?" He asked with an almost kind note in his voice.****

" I never remember my dreams. But I don't think they're bad…" She stopped, unsure of how to go on.

" Elaborate some more, Miss Gardner." Kyra took a deep breath and hoped she could explain it correctly.

" I never wake up scared or feeling that thing you usually feel in your stomach after a bad dream, you know that sensation?" Snape nodded; he could have written a book on that. " Well, I never have it. What I do feel is like a… restlessness, I guess."

" How is that?"

" It's like… damn, I don't know," she said, a bit frustrated.

" Miss Gardner, watch your language," warned Snape.

" Oh, yeah, sorry. Thing is, I wake up feeling the way I feel every time I perform a spell: like I need more, like something inside of me asks for more magic…" For the first time in the years she had known him, Snape looked truly concerned.

" Are you sure about that?"

" Yes sir," she answered, lifting a shaky hand and running it through her adorably ruffled hair.

Severus noticed her shivers and leaned closer to her, their previous conversation forgotten as he thought of something that could make her feel better.

" You need to relax a little. A soothing potion might help," he said, getting up.

" No… no. No potions, Professor, please," Kyra pleaded.

" Are you refusing my help?" His tone had gone stern once again and Kyra hated that. He had been civil, almost nice to her up to that moment and she didn't want to do anything to change that.

" No! Not at all!" She hurried to explain. " It's just that… I try to use magic a little as possible."

" Haven't you just told me that you feel the urge for more magic?"

" Exactly, what if then I can't control it?" She asked, fear creeping into her voice.

" You are here to learn magic and also to learn how to control it," lectured the Professor in him.

" Yeah, but why use it when you can do things naturally?" Was her delicate question.

" You mean, the Muggle way," Said Severus, sounding a bit bothered. 

A smile slipped onto Kyra's face immediately. " Yup. I like that better."

" You are a witch, Miss Gardner and you belong to the wizarding world." Another lecture was about to start, but Kyra didn't let it flourish.

" As disgusting as this may sound to a Slytherin, I belong to both worlds," she said, softly but firmly.

" Don't you think you should choose? A person cannot live torn between two lifestyles."

" The way I see it, Professor, it's a lot more valuable having the best of both worlds than denying the existence of either one of them." She was correct and he knew that. That didn't mean, though, that he had to admit it.

" All right, then," he conceded. " What Muggle concoct will you drink to feel more relaxed?" Kyra laughed softly.

" Some hot cocoa might help." Snape nodded curtly and a house elf appeared. As he spoke to him, Kyra stood up and approached his large library.

Her eyes widened at the collection of books he had in there. It was like Disneyland to her... actually, a sale at Escada would be her Magic Kingdom, while Severus Snape's library was her Epcot Center and she got lost in the study of the book's titles. She was so marveled that Snape's voice from behind startled her.

" Found anything interesting?" He asked.

" Yeah, like, everything! This is… awesome!"

" Not many students appreciate books." His tone had softened once again and that made her smile turn into a grin.

" I do… I mean, woa…" She turned to him with bright eyes and he handed her one of the mugs the house elf had brought. Their fingers met momentarily and Kyra felt a rush of warmth flooding her body.

' Okay, what the hell was that?' She questioned herself as her body went through tremors and her heart rate was exponentially increased. After taking the mug, Kyra went on speaking, trying to forget the sensations their accidental touch had arisen in her. " Have you read them all?"

" Yes. Some of them more than once," Snape replied, noticing his voice had gone husky.

He was at a loss of words. How could she command such a reaction from his body with only that feathery touch? It had felt so right, all that electricity... had she felt it too? All he knew right then was that her soft skin touching his had been enough to almost drive all rational thought from his head.

' Oh, get a hold of yourself, you ridiculous idiot!' He reprimanded himself.

As from a tacit agreement, the two of them went back to their seats and drank the cocoa in silence, staring at the fire, fearing what could happen if their eyes met.

He had relaxed a bit in her presence and in the fiery red glow, Kyra noticed his pained expression. At that point she knew for sure Severus Snape was not a monstrous villain who took pleasure in tormenting children, but a man who seemed to have accepted the darkness that followed him around wherever he went. 

She couldn't understand why Potter and his friends hated him as blatantly as they did. The Boy Who lived had started Hogwarts while she was in her fifth year and she never understood the commotion about his arrival. He had managed to discover some of Hogwarts' many mysteries, but that didn't mean she had to like him, did it? It bothered her seeing how much he abhorred and mistrusted Snape. She didn't think he was _that_ bad. And right now, she felt sorry for him, but at the same time, other feelings flooded through her, ones she couldn't quite explain.

Severus looked up and their eyes met once again; Kyra found herself captivated by those black pools. They stared into hers steadily, as if they would learn everything there was to know about her. But it only lasted for a second.

" It would be better if you went back to your room, Miss Gardner. You must try to get some sleep," he said with great effort. 

Kyra knew he was right, but she was still reluctant to leave. She felt so secure there with him that it made her wish she could stay. Summoning all her willpower, she stood up without breaking eye contact. " You're right, Sir. Thank you very much for listening to me."

" It is my duty. Meet me tomorrow after lunch and I'll let you know what the Headmaster and I think of your condition."

" OK, Professor Snape. See you tomorrow then," said the girl with a smile. " Have a good night," she added, before disappearing through his door, taking all the light and warmth with her.

Severus remained sitting for a long time, lost in an argument with himself, which ended in a heartrending: ' She could never love an old dark wizard like me. What is more, I probably repulse her.'

Sighing heavily, he went to his bed and it would be at almost the crack of dawn when he would realize he had used the 'l' word related to Kyra Gardner.


	5. A bright birthday

**Chapter five: A bright birthday.**

October 28th was a great day for Kyra. It was her birthday. She woke up, feeling fresh and very, very special. No nightmares had haunted her the previous night and she was most thankful for that, since today she felt truly rested.

Kyra peered up though sleep-blurred eyes and saw a pile of attractively wrapped packages at the foot of her bed. Rubbing her eyes, she picked her wand from her night table and levitated the bundles to her bed. It was definitely more comfortable than getting up. Five of the presents were from her parents.

Her eyes filled with tears as she imagined her mother going shopping, carefully picking things she knew her daughter would enjoy and her father, lovingly packing the presents and writing on the packages with his best handwriting. She wiped her eyes and hurried to open the gifts.

There was a luxurious toggle coat in soft, camel brown wool that fell to mid thigh with a touch of fur trimming its the neckline, plackets, cuffs and deep hood; an elegant pair of Prada black leather gloves with cashmere lining and finished with a black fur cuff and a Fendi small shopper tote with black double-F logo woven fabric, narrow black leather handles and a small matching coin purse attached inside. 

The other packages revealed two Danielle Steel books and a silver photo frame with a picture of her, her mom and her dad at their Beverly Hills home. That caused tears to spring from her eyes. Trying to dispel the melancholy, she decided to open one of her books. As she did that, a blue envelope fell onto her lap.

Kyra opened it and found a lovely Birthday card signed by her parents, which translated into more tears; but inside the envelope was something else: a pretty heavy bundle of muggle money to exchange at Gringotts. She shook her head at their extravagance; despite her protests, they always sent her more money than she could possibly spend.

Then, she remembered the other two more packages that waited for her and she unwrapped them as soon as she could. One was from her grandmother, who knew how much she loved jewels and had sent her pair of silver and lapis long earrings, while the other one's sender was her favorite cousin, Laura. It was a provocative push-up bra with white Chantilly trimmings and a matching thong. That made Kyra laugh.

' Apparently, she thinks I have a more interesting social life than I really do,' she said to herself, as she softly ran her hands along the delicate garments.

She turned her attention back to the card and smiled warmly. Her birthday was always such a happy occasion that she tried to make it special in return for her loved ones. That was why she would spend weeks thinking over what to give her mum or her dad, which was the best card for her grandmother or how would they spend Marianne, or John or Hélène's birthday.  

An insistent knock on her door brought her back to reality and she put on a warm white chenille robe and slippers before unwarding it. Three people entered her room and the sight made her burst into laughter: Marianne, Hélène and John stood there, still in their nightclothes, each carrying a present and wearing silly muggle party hats.

" HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" They chorused.

" Oh my God guys!" Was all she could say before being engulfed by six pairs of arms. They all wanted to hug, kiss and congratulate the birthday girl.

After that, they all went back to Kyra's bed, where she proceeded to open the presents. John had got her a striking black quill that wrote in a charmed color-changing ink. Marianne's gift was a book: _Dolingen de Gratz's guide to Potion Experimentation_ and Hélène's consisted of a robe-fastening brooch made of Slytherin-green jade.

" Thank you so much for this!" She whispered, tenderly resting her eyes on each of the presents.

" It ain't over yet," said a beaming Marianne, whose friendship with a house elf turned into several trays of sandwiches and pastries and a huge birthday cake that the four friends shared in the privacy of Kyra's room. Needless to say, they didn't go to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Laughing, eating, talking and checking out Kyra's presents, time flew by and half-hour before the first period started, her friends left her so they could all get dressed. John and Hélène met her again at the potions classroom's door.

" Some luck you have, Ky, Double Potions on your birthday!" Exclaimed Hélène. " What a lovely gift!"

" It could be worse, Héllie... I could have Herbology," said Kyra, referring to her most loathed subject.

" But at least Sprout would wish you a happy birthday," answered her Gryffindor friend as they entered and headed to where she sat.

" Oh, Snape will, trust me," muttered John, who had remained silent for an unusual length of time. That meant he was in deep thought.

" Johnny... what are you planning?" He ignored her question and proceeded to open his book. " John..." she insisted. The boy took no notice of that and busied himself opening his ink bottle. Kyra lost her patience. " JOHN!" She snapped.

But before she could say anything else, Professor Snape entered the classroom and Kyra had to run back to her seat. She truly feared John would commit a stupidity and ruin everything between her and the Potions Master. 

Since that night in his chambers, he had started to act a bit nicer towards her. He had told her he and Dumbledore believed she was suffering from student's stress and that was probably the reason for the change in his demeanor. Not that the reason mattered to her anyway...

She had assisted him in brewing two more potions ever since and, while working, they had had very interesting talks on Muggle Literature, subject in which Kyra was very keen on. Severus had thoroughly enjoyed Edgar Allan Poe's writings and having someone intellectually fit for discussing them had been a real pleasure for him.

None of them knew that in those talks, they bared their souls to each other, unconsciously exposing their deepest fears, their greatest aspirations, their viewpoints and morals. To Kyra, it was as if they had become friends. Well, maybe not that much, but they were definitely more familiarized and enjoyed each other's company. And she didn't want that to change.

There were many moments, while working on a potion or listening to one of his lectures, that she would be distracted by the sound of his robes as they brushed by the tables, the rhythmic tone of his breathing as he worked near her or that baritone voice that seemed to caress her ears.

" Silence everyone," commanded Snape, bringing Kyra back to reality. " Now seeing as this Halloween Ball nonsense has you all distracted, I have found a way to make you focus on this subject. Here I have a list of potions and will randomly give each one of you one from the list. Be warned, I am in the mood to take points away."

" He always is," whispered Johnny.

As the Potions Master turned to face him, an enraged expression fiercening his scowl, the boy knew he had been heard.

' Damn this man's sense of hearing, it's not normal!' He thought.

" I am not going to validate that remark with a reply," Severus snarled at him. " Twenty points from Gryffindor for your impudence." One black brow rose and his voice lowered, dripping with sarcasm. " And you were right, I'm always in the mood when it comes to deducting points from foolish children such as you. Now kindly quit lingering and get back to your work posthaste." 

Kyra shook her head. Trust Johnny to always get on Snape's bad side. And speaking of the devil... The Professor approached her and, without a word, he gave her a piece of parchment with 'Polyjuice potion.' written on it. She remembered having once mentioned to him how eager she was to learn its brewing process. Looking up, she met his obsidian eyes. They seemed to soften a bit as their gazes locked and she smiled. 

" Thanks, Professor," she whispered.

He nodded and redirected his attention to the rest of his students. A sigh escaped Kyra's lips. It had been really nice from him to give her that potion but... it was so much better when she had company while working. And if said company was a certain Potions Master, well... much for the best! 

Nevertheless, she let her interest for the potion engulf her in such fashion that she took no notice of anything around her until she was almost done, and the class about to finish. At that point, John's voice froze the blood that streamed up and down her veins.

" Today is Kyra's birthday, Professor Snape. Won't you congratulate her?" Boldly asked John as the Potions Master passed by his table.

" I don't think staying alive for another year is a task that requires any praising, Mr. Reid," sternly retorted Severus. However, he caught a glimpse of her in the corner of his eye and that melted his usual foul mood.

She looked truly radiant that day and he didn't miss how his remark had made her lower her eyes and blush intensely. Little he knew that her reaction was due to John's downright senselessness. " But if I must," he suddenly said, " happy birthday Miss Gardner."

It sounded forced and cold, but it still managed to knock the wind out of most students' lungs. When had 'hardass' Snape whished anyone a happy birthday? Kyra knew him better than that and she realized there had been an almost imperceptible hint of real good wishes in those words. Merlin, the man never ceased to amaze her.

" Thank you, Professor Snape," was Kyra's answer. The poor girl felt she would burst into laughter any second. Even though she would have to wring John's neck for his complete lack of judgment, she had to admit the whole situation had been hilarious.

But her amusement was quickly replaced by a strange agitation when blue met black and she found herself looking into the Potions Master's eyes. For what seemed centuries, she drank from those black pools, swirling with emotions, warming her and refreshing her at the same time like nothing had ever done before.

At the same time, Severus felt himself drowning in an oasis of crystalline waters, but his rationality prevailed.

" Class dismissed," he announced brusquely and the students, after glancing at each other in wonder, virtually ran out of the cold dungeons, John and Hélène included.

Kyra took all the time in the world to place the ingredients back into her bag, trying to spend at least another second in his company. She prayed for him to find a reason to say a few words to her, something, anything that could provide her with the opportunity of getting closer to that hidden man she had come to value. 

She watched him subtly as he, agonizingly slow, started opening his mouth... but right then, her two friends re entered the classroom.

" C'mon Ky, it's lunch time!"

" Really, how long can it take you to pack things?" Asked Hélène, as she jammed everything into her tote. 

All Kyra could do was shoot Severus an apologetic look as she was nearly dragged out of the room.

***

It was a beautiful autumn afternoon, the sun high on the heartbreakingly blue sky and casting a warm glow over everything it touched, shadow and light alike full of promise, of limitless positive possibilities.

Severus looked out the window. The school's grounds were literally covered by students enjoying the surprisingly warm day. Some were playing chess, while others simply lazily stretched their bodies under the bright sunrays. He bitterly thought why didn't they invest their time in something more worthwhile, like studying or doing their homework.

' That way, I wouldn't have to read the atrocities they usually write on their assignments,' he mused.

And then he saw her, lying on the well-kept grass, with her head on that damned Gryffindor's lap. He was leaning against a tree and rhythmically stroking her head, as she seemed to be reading a book out loud.

' It appears they are celebrating her birthday quite comfortably together,' he thought cynically. 

Severus felt anger boiling his blood but was unsure of the reason for that. Maybe because another man was on the place he would have liked to be, maybe because that man could have, if he wasn't stupid and let the opportunity go by without seizing it, Kyra by his side. To kiss her, to hold her, to be happy together.

" Oh, for Merlin's Sake! I haven't had feelings like this since… well, a very long time! Why the bloody hell must it be towards a student?!" 

As he was ready to start slamming his head against the nearest wall, Severus noticed that the other two girls she consorted with appeared in the park, carrying what looked like a bag of candies. They sat on the grass, next to the couple and proceeded to tell them something extremely amusing, by the looks of it. 

Snape could only hope it had nothing to do with that idiotic Lupin class 'incident' that had reached his ears and involved him and Longbottom's grandmother's clothes. Whatever the cause of their amusement was, he noted that she never abandoned her comfortable position, nor did the boy stop his gentle caresses to her hair.

' Serves you right, you old fool. How could you have the nerve to desire such an exquisite creature?' With that, he made his way towards the dungeons, planning to lock himself there until the following day.

***

Kyra had had a wonderful day. The afternoon had been glorious, and then she had relished on the simple daily pleasures of her Hogwarts daily activities, such as the evening cramming session at the library, her long bubble bath and the not-very-animated dinner with the Slytherins. Even their nasty remarks had seemed like a blessing that day. The only thing that had caused a shadow to cross her face in the entire day had been Snape's absence during dinner.

' Maybe he's a bit embarrassed by what happened at Professor Lupin's class today... or he could be ill or something. I'll ask someone if I don't see him tomorrow,' she had decided.

Now she was back in her bedroom, going through her bedtime routine. As she was leisurely running a soft-bristle brush through her hair, Kyra thought she had heard someone outside her door. She left the mirror stand and hurried towards it; everything was perfectly silent. However, she decided to open it and double-check no one was trying to pull a prank on her. All she found was a tall crystal vase filled with shimmering night lilies resting at her feet.

" God, how lovely!" She exclaimed, as she picked up the vase. " I wonder who left them here..."

Kyra looked around the corridor, trying to make out anything from the thick darkness that would claim Hogwarts' hallways every night. Her eyes were unable to pick anything up, but her nose caught a faint scent of spices and fresh herbs. She didn't know who that aroma belonged to, but she silently thanked him or her for the adorable present and closed the door.

As she finally went to bed, leaving the flowers on her night table to keep them close to her, a figure wearing black robes stared at her door from the shadows for a long while, before disappearing down the hall.


	6. Darkness' allure

**Chapter six: Darkness' allure.**

The day before the Ball, Kyra had decided to use the afternoon to go for a walk on Hogwarts' grounds. Her friends were still struggling with their homework, but since she had already done it, she could enjoy some free time in solitude. Yeah, sometimes she needed that. The area near the lake was almost deserted and there she headed; Kyra sat on one of the benches, in a patch of sun and allowed her mind to wander for a while, enjoying the cold breeze and the prickle of the sun rays on her skin.

Not too long afterwards, she heard voices coming from behind her and quietly turned to see whom they belonged to. Draco Malfoy was standing almost 100 meters away, with an older man holding a snake head cane angrily talking to him. His father. Most girls considered Draco as drop-dead gorgeous, but Kyra didn't. Now his father, well, he was an entirely different matter. She had seen him only a couple of times before, and that had been enough to get her breath caught in her throat. He looked good, more than good... And now she had the chance to study him.

The man had an imposing figure, all clad in black robes that contrasted sharply against his pale complexion. She noticed his grayed gaze seemed sharpened like a scalpel, his icy demeanor revealed in the wicked sneer he wore as he heard his son's mumbling. But that curtain of silver blond silk that fell on his face gave him a                 touch...

There was something infinitely dark and sinister about the handsome visitor, though it remained hidden beneath a cloak of surface charm. Cultured and sophisticated, even to the most discerning eye, this man exuded a lethal combination of refinement and underlying cruelty.

It was hard to pinpoint what attracted her the most about Lucius Malfoy. She had never really met him, nor talked to him, so why did he have such a strong effect on her? Indeed, his appearance was breathtaking, but Kyra felt his magnetism went beyond that. It was in that attitude that had definitely crossed the line between confidence and haughtiness, in the way he made most people shrink with a mere cold glance, in all that power he imparted.

' First Snape, now Malfoy's father. Again, Kyra, you are fucking insane.' She smiled at her own mind's scold and continued to watch the scene.

The boy seemed to be shrinking under his father's muttered invectives, which Kyra didn't doubt were reprimands for his low grades and inability to outdo Potter in the slightest task. Suddenly, he whirled around and strode back to the castle, leaving the man standing alone, cursing under his breath. Truly afraid of being discovered, Kyra turned her back on him and focused on watching the squib lazily stretching its tentacles.

Lucius was paying Hogwarts visits almost everyday in the guise of visiting his son, but he was actually spying on Kyra, trying to confirm his suspicions on her being who he thought she really was. That day, as he lectured that useless son of him, he had had the inkling that someone was observing him. He was extremely amused to find he was being studied by the same person he was supposed to study.

After Draco left, he looked around and found there were no other living souls to be seen and decided to seize the opportunity to start working. It wasn't that he was looking forward to spending time with a mudblood, but when it came to pleasing his Master... Casually, he took the path that led to the lake and upon reaching its shore, he pretended to let his gaze wander in order to take in the surroundings.

Their eyes met for a brief second, before she redirected hers to the floor. His subtle smile broke into a grin as he approached her bench.

" Miss Gardner, am I correct?"

" Yes, sir, I'm Kyra Gardner," she said with a smile, offering him her hand.

" Then good afternoon," he greeted her as he clasped it. Touching a mudblood made his skin crawl at first but then he felt the prickle of magic coming from her elegant fingers and had to force himself to speak. " My name is Lucius Malfoy."

His shake was firm and Kyra definitely enjoyed it, not realizing how his expression changed when their skin met and he could feel she was definitely powerful.

" Nice to meet you."

" It is my pleasure. My son has mentioned you are a brilliant student," he said casually, but studying her every reaction.

OK, Kyra was attracted to him and she had been taught to respect her elders, but she still couldn't hold her tongue. " Weird, sir, I always thought he didn't like me because of my non-wizarding family," she stated.

" Oh, nonsense! He has spoken to me several times about you. You must spend an awful lot of time studying."

" Not really…" Kyra said, shaking her head.

" Then how have you managed to outwit every other student?"

" It's rather strange… sometimes it seems to me that I already know some things."

It was definitely a start, but he needed more. " Really? Would you like to tell me more while we take a stroll down the park?" Suggested Lucius, looking at her intensely.

The idea sounded nice, but her scruples made her try to refuse. " I'm not sure, sir. I don't know if that would be appropriate..."

" Why wouldn't it? We would only talk and enjoy this remarkable day," he replied lightly, offering her his arm in a very gentlemanly fashion.

" You're right..." She gave in, taking it.

" Very well. Let us go."

For about a half hour they walked around the lake, talking about anything and everything, but all related to her. He seemed very interested in getting to know her and she didn't see anything odd in it. She should have.

Lucius found himself enjoying the afternoon more than he had expected and finding out about many things as well, so he couldn't complain. As they took a turn to return to the castle, he saw his son staring at him with a horrified expression. That would probably end up in a scene... and with the little brat ruining any chance of him finding out what he needed to. It was his cue to leave. He stopped walking and casually glanced at his pocket watch.

" Oh, dear, I am most sorry to leave you, but there are some matters I have to take care of."

" No, it's OK, I probably should be going back inside. My friends must be worried," she said with a smile.

" Then we must part, but I hope this will not be the last time I can enjoy your company," he hinted.

" I enjoyed yours too."

" Then it is a promise: we will talk again, soon."

He took her right hand in his and kissed it lightly. Smiling, she turned and walked away. Feeling lightheaded, Kyra returned to her room. Standing against its door she found Marianne and Hélène waiting for her.

" Hi girls, do come in," she greeted, unwarding the door and letting her friends in. 

They looked strangely severe and no soon had she closed the door when they both exploded.

" What were you doing with Malfoy's father in the park?"

" Really, Kyra, Lucius Malfoy!"

" How could you?"

" Seeking his company, Ky? Why?"

" He's married, you know."

" He could be your father!"

" And his son loathes you!"

" You should be more careful..."

" Hey, hey hey! Hold your horses!" Kyra cut them short, raising her voice like she had never done when talking to her fiends. " I hate to interrupt this two people monologue on my immorality, but, honestly, what the hell's gotten on you????? We were doing nothing wrong, for the love of magic! Just chatting. I cannot believe you, my best friends, doubt me as to think I could be involved with him just because we spent some time together!" When she finished she was flustered and breathless.

Hélène tried to approach the subject in a more diplomatic way. After all, she didn't enjoy upsetting her friend like that.

" And didn't you find that odd? I mean, I've heard he'd rather die before being seen with a muggle-born."

" Well, maybe he reconsidered..."

" Just think about your reputation!" Shouted Marianne, interrupting her. " He's the father of one of your schoolmates."

" Give me a sodding break! We weren't doing anything incorrect, for crying out loud!" Kyra stood up as to leave, but Hélène stopped her.

" Hey, Ky, we know. But we are not the only ones who saw you and him..."

" Did Johnny...?" Now there was fear in her voice.

" No," replied Marianne gravely.

" Then don't tell him, please," she pleaded.

Hélène couldn't hold her tongue." I thought you had nothing to hide." 

" And I don't, goddamnit! But he's just too... possessive. Now, are you finished judging my promiscuity?"

" We werent'..." Started Marianne.

" Well, then stop lecturing me and let's talk about the ball."

Hélène and Marianne exchanged a worried look, but didn't say another word.

" Who's taking you?" Forcedly asked the first girl, changing the topic even though she wasn't certain of doing the right thing.

" John..."

" But I thought a guy from my House, Marcus Dent, had asked you..." said Marianne, looking a bit confused.

" I turned him down. I already went to a ball with him and I'm not interested in him whatsoever. You know I prefer Americans."

" Well, there's a color for every taste," teased Hélène.

Kyra smiled. " Besides, you know I don't want to get involved with anyone from the school. I have enough problems as to have to deal with a bad relationship and everyone knowing about it. Anyway, who are _you_ going with?" Kyra asked Hélène.

" Frederic Lewellynn," whispered the Gryffindor and blushed furiously.

" Really? That's great! I know the good old Huffie's been dying to ask you."

" Kyra!"

" Hey, it's true. I happen to know he had a pretty good time at the last ball and he must want to repeat the experience..." suggested Kyra.

The three girls laughed. If they had known Harry Potter's godfather, they could have described Frederic as a young Sirius Black. He completely challenged Hufflepuff's stereotype, being as fun-loving, daring and full of vitality as he usually was. About 5'11'' with shoulder-length chocolate-brown hair and large emerald eyes, he had caught Hélène's eye during a Quidditch game they had reluctantly attended to, in order to accompany John. The Hufflepuff Beater had caught a glimpse of a rather cute girl and had approached her group. Hélène's friends had discretely excused themselves, leaving her alone with him and the rest is history.

They had started as friends, sharing hours of studying and walks down the park, before realizing they made a great couple. It was clear, even though they had only attended one ball together the past year and hadn't 'dated' much, that Hélène balanced him, putting a lid on his sometimes too adventurous temperament and Frederic brought out the tender, romantic woman hidden in her soul.

" I don't need to ask who your date is, now do I?" Asked Hélène, glaring intently at Marianne. She had tried to divert the attention from her, since she was blushing again and she didn't like it one bit.

" No. I'm going with Jer," was Marianne's calm and collected answer. But there was a spark in her eyes that told just how much that pleased her.

" Good, because we'd kill you if you went with anyone but Jeremy," stated Kyra.

She actually meant that. Jeremy Harker had also been elected Prefect and he had met Marianne during their first year under that charge. Kyra hadn't missed the subtle glances they cast in each other's direction, Marianne's blush every time they were assigned to patrol together or Jeremy's increasing nervousness when it came to just the mere act of talking to her. The boy had finally gathered some courage and asked her to their 6th year Valentine's Day Ball. And they had attended every single gathering together after that.

They clicked perfectly, they complemented each other, they were _meant_ for each other. He was tall and slim, with cropped fair hair and large brown-olive eyes that gave him that sweet, boyish look that was both attractive and endearing. And not too long ago, she had confessed them that things had definitely gotten more serious between her and 'Jer'. They were even making plans to attend the same University, just to be together.

" Oh, the idea has never crossed my mind!" Said the Ravenclaw, giggling.

" God girls, look at the time!" Said Kyra, looking at her watch.

It was almost dinnertime and the three of them interrupted their talk to run to the Great Hall. After a somewhat tense dinner with Draco eyeing her oddly and muttering expletives about her promiscuity, Kyra joined her friends and they hanged at her room for a while before they all got to their beds, where they would most certainly dream about the upcoming ball.


	7. Halloween's Ball surprises

Chapter seven: Halloween Ball's surprises. 

The evening of the Halloween Ball had finally arrived. After taking a long bubble bath, Kyra stepped out of the tub and performed a drying spell on it and on herself. Checking the watch, he realized she better hurry; she had less than an hour left and she didn't want to keep Johnny waiting.

He was her date for the night and Kyra was glad she could spend her last Halloween Ball with him. She had turned down a few offers and he hadn't wanted to invite anyone else... they just wanted to be together. Sometimes it amazed her how close they were; they shared a bond that went far beyond attraction, friendship and even love. That was why none of them had ever tried to get romantically involved with the other. What they had was special and they were both proud of it, so, why change it?

Not many people understood, however, and almost everyone at Hogwarts thought they were 'shagging like rabbits' or at least secretly involved. She reflected on that while she went through her toiletries and dressing. Forty-five minutes later, she was done. Kyra looked at her reflection on the mirror and smiled brightly. Mirror Kyra smiled back and she left her chambers John was waiting outside.

The first thing he noticed was that she had charmed her hair, so now it hung down her waist in a mass of black glossy ringlets. Secondly, his eyes fell on her full lips, polished in an intense shade of red. And then, he took her entire outfit in.

" Dear Merlin, Kyra, you look... breathtaking!" He managed to whisper, noticing he had been holding his breath.

Indeed, her gypsy outfit made her look exquisite. She was wearing a white blouse with elastics at the elbows and long, wide sleeves; its bodice was fully lined with lacing up the front and back. It highlighted her still-tanned skin, especially at the deep cleavage. There hung a beautiful necklace with an antique brass tone medallion highlighted by carnelian beads. The skirt was of a rich coral tone, mid-calf, with little gypsy bells at the end of the drawstrings that adjusted it to her narrow waist. A belt of antique silver coins, a silk shawl adorned with glass beads and macrame fringe and leather sandals with tiny bells on their straps completed her look.

" Thanks, Johnny," she said, blushing a little at his intense scrutiny. " You don't look too bad yourself."

He was obviously dressed as the Phantom of the Opera. Kyra smiled, they had seen the play together during one of the many holidays he had spent with her. He had the full outfit on: black boots and loose-fitting pants the same color, a white shirt with full collar and billowing sleeves. Its neck and gauntlet-style cuffs had nickel-plated grommets with lacing. On top of that, he wore a black cape with a delicate loop closure to hold the collar closed. His mask fitted nicely over the right side of his face, while the fedora hat added to his mysterious look. 

He gallantly offered her his arm and after she took it, they headed towards the Great Hall. The ball had just started and John led her inside; everything looked perfect. Dumbledore had really done it this time... The decorations were unlike anything she had seen before, the food looked incredible and the music flowed softly, creating a wonderful atmosphere.

She looked around, relishing on every little detail. And then, her eyes fell on Professor Snape. He was watching her intently, his obsidian eyes fixed on her figure. As she met them, he quickly looked away, but Kyra suddenly felt weak. He looked... imposing in his heavy brocade dress robes and she wondered why was he there. He attended very few balls... not that it bothered her, the exact opposite, she felt almost a childish excitement from seeing him there.

' Oh, stop it!' She admonished herself. ' It's not like he's gonna come and ask you to dance.' Question was, did she want him to? Fearing her own answer to that, she did her best to put him out of her mind. Kyra focused her attention back on Johnny, as they drew near Marianne and Jeremy.

Her friend made a lovely Guinevere with her magnificent Renaissance gown made of royal purple velvet. Slightly curved across the front of the waist and straight across the back, the bodice was fully embroidered with glass beads. A 4-yard flowing skirt was hand pleated to the bodice. The 'wing' styled sleeves were open at the shoulders and hung down to almost the knee. She was wearing matching satin pumps and a beaded purse, with glass and silver-colored metal drops and silk lining. It had an also beaded shoulder chain.

" God, Marianne, you look lovely!" She exclaimed.

" Thanks Ky, so do you! You're Esmeralda, from 'The hunchback of Notre Dame', right?"

" I'm glad you remembered the book I lent you."

" How could I not? It was delightful."

As John complimented Marianne, Kyra turned to greet Jer, her friend's personal Lancelot. 

He was dressed in a hunter green shirt with full-cut body, billowing sleeves and lacing at the neck and cuffs, a black doublet of waist length, slightly pointed in front, brass grommets with black lacing on its front and basic black trousers of relaxed fit with slightly tapered legs. He was obviously very proud of his Knight's belt in sturdy black leather, where he carried a sword, since he kept throwing quick glances at it and smiling brightly. As he also smiled at the woman next to him.

" I love your costume, Jeremy!"

" Thank you, Kyra, I love yours too. And you," he said, patting John on the back, " have to explain me yours..." As John and Jeremy talked, Kyra and Marianne did the same.

" Where's Hélène?" Asked Ky, after a while, looking at the crowd, trying to find her friend among it.

As to answer her question, Hélène and Frederic entered the ballroom. Kyra simply couldn't believe her eyes.

" Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" She asked John. As she didn't get an answer, she turned to look at her friend and found him staring at the couple with his mouth hanging open. " Yeah... apparently you are."

The source of their shock was dressed in a perfect cheerleading uniform in navy blue. The cropped top had a silver sequin trim, as well as the lovely pleated skirt. Pom-poms of the same color as the outfit and silver sneakers accessorized her, while the indigo cap that read: 'Go team!' added the finishing touch. 

It was an appropriate costume, since the two garments met at her waist without exposing any skin and the skirt was the same length her uniform's was, but still, her friends were astounded. Hélène dressed as a cheerleader? Now that was something you didn't see everyday. Still, she looked great. The clothes flattered her figure and, as she removed her cap, her short dark hair made a striking contrast against the fairness of her skin.

To match his date's costume, Frederic was dressed as an American football player, with its full gear: blue sneakers, silver titanium helmet with face mask, chinstrap, navy blue stretch polyester pants. Pretty stretchy, actually. A silver jersey with his name and 00 written on the back in elegant blue, tons of padding in his arms, hips, shoulders and knees, the ever-present foot ball and... _Presto!_ A football player to die for.

Kyra smiled, she had heard from Hélène that Frederic was quite obsessed with muggle sports and that was the proof. Being such a prankster, he was probably the one who had talked Hél into wearing her cheerleading outfit to match his clothes and not the other way round. Despite her initial shock, she had to admit they looked great together.

Since her grand entrance, Hélène had never stopped observing her friends. Smiling placidly at the shock she had stirred in them, she approached the group.

" Hey mates, how's the party so far?" Asked the cheery cheerleader.

" Definitely more entertaining since you arrived," was John's comeback.

They all laughed, Hélène included. " So, like my outfit?"

" Yeah, it's lovely. Thing is... well, not the kind of outfit you would usually wear..." said Marianne, trying to sound as diplomatic as she could.

" I know. But Frederic bought his football uniform at muggle London during the holidays and he told me it would be darn funny if he appeared dressed as a jock. Well, I agreed and then he tried to convince me to wear this... thing. To 'double the fun'," explained Hélène.

" Can't argue with that," said Kyra, eyeing her with a lopsided grin.

" Yeah, well, I wasn't very fond of the idea, but what the hell! I saw a cheerleader in one of those muggle magazines you have, Ky. I think it was on 'Seventeen'. I imprinted it on my memory, then drew a sketch and took it to Madam Malkin's to have it confectioned. Bet you weren't expecting this..."

" You can say that again!" Exclaimed John.

" I can't imagine Madame Malkin sewing it!!!" Said Kyra between laughs.

" It cost me a small fortune but seeing your faces... it was totally worth it!" Hélène replied laughing as well.

" I like Frederic's outfit too," commented Marianne.

" By the way, where the hell did he go?" Asked Hélène, looking around.

" I'm right here," he whispered, appearing from behind her. " I was greeting my friends. I got a lot of compliments on our choice of costume."

The six of them chatted animatedly for a while until they couldn't resist the charm of the music anymore. 

" Would you honor me with this dance?" Asked John, bowing lightly. He was such a gentleman...

" Of course," she answered, beaming at him.

He placed his hands on the small of her back, gently pressing Kyra against him, while she put her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. They nuzzled against each other and started moving along the music's melodious rhythm.

A pair of cold eyes watched them. Lucius Malfoy was at the ball. Seeing Snape standing apart from the crowd, as usual, he went to stand next to him.

Oblivious to his presence, Severus watched Kyra dance enveloped by John's arms. He tried very hard to quell that wave of jealousy and bitterness that was threatening to flood him, but it was to no avail. At that point, he hated John Reid and wished the earth cracked open and swallowed him. 

Unfortunately, that would sadden her... Merlin, was she beautiful... he couldn't stop himself from imagining she was between his arms, dancing with him instead of with that bloody Gryffindor...

' Enough, you old fool! Look at the boy, he is fun, open, clean, of her age, half of Hogwarts' female population is after him... Now look at you, nothing but a dungeon dwelling old bat. Who do you think she'd rather be with, huh?'

Lucius wasn't stupid. He could have sensed Severus' sour mood from a mile distance. He looked in the same direction he was and his eyes fell on Kyra. Well, apparently his fellow death eater had a soft spot.

" My dear Severus," he started and nearly laughed at the scowl he was greeted with. " If you have not yet tried to sink your teeth into that mouth-watering delicacy, your self-control is to be highly praised," he said gesturing towards Kyra with his head.

Snape hadn't liked the interruption. He swallowed hard as unwelcome feelings of possessiveness took hold of him at Lucius' comment. " Unlike you, Lucius, I know what lines not to cross," he replied caustically.

" Ah, well, that's your problem. But it's sad, you don't really know what you're missing..." remarked Lucius with a wily smile.

" You don't, either," said Severus in a tone without any inflections.

" But I don't intend to miss it! I want her and I will act on it." That twitched the Potions Master's stomach.

" Lucius, please, she is only a child!" He snapped. " And comes from a muggle family," he hurried to add.

" That is why I want her for myself alone, even though she would be highly appreciated in a Dark Revel..." hinted the blond man.

" Don't even think about it!" He growled.

Malfoy only smiled and that made Severus want to wipe that smile from his face, even if he had to do it the muggle way: with a clean punch, right on his disgustingly curved mouth. 

" What is it, my friend? Is this beauty the apple of your eyes?" He asked in a condescending tone that angered Severus infinitely.

" Don't be ridiculous! It is only that there are plenty of muggles out there you can use without risking our purposes by looking for one here." Snape was proud of his lie. It had been pretty convincing... or so he thought.

" Maybe. Now, if you excuse me…" he said and went to where Kyra was standing, waiting for John who had gone get her a drink.

Even though it is hard to imagine, Severus' face twitched into the fiercest scowl ever when he saw Malfoy leading the girl back to the dance floor.

Kyra had been surprised to see Lucius Malfoy at the ball; but her surprise knew no limits when he had asked her to dance with him. Now, she just felt dizzy. He was a very good dancer... Kyra sighed softly and breathed in his expensive cologne. She was attracted to him, oh yes she was and knew he was off-limits, but that didn't keep her from enjoying his closeness, his touch…

Lucius was amazed at the power he felt radiating from her; he had never been this close to Kyra, but now... all his questions were answered. As he held her between his arms, he had to recognize she was quite desirable, that would simplify his task very much... very much indeed.

Had she not been a mudblood, Lucius had no doubt he would have enjoyed making her his mistress very much. And had she not been who he thought he was, he would have found great pleasure in taking her to a dark revel and, well... But right now, all he could do was seduce her and have a bit of fun with that.

He would wait for a while before letting the Dark Lord know about his discovery. He first had to come up with a plan.


	8. I'm under your spell

Chapter eight: I'm under your spell. 

Severus knew he had to do something. He couldn't just stand there seeing Malfoy seduce his student. Truth was, being the object of Lucius' lust was a fate he didn't wish for anybody but... this was Miss Gardner and he didn't know why, but it made him even more protective, more possessive.

' Just one,' he told himself. ' No more than one.' 

Standing, he sneered at every student as he passed, stopping in front of Kyra and Lucius. He tapped the last one on the shoulder.

" Mind if I cut in?" He asked, and had the reward of beholding Malfoy's eyes reach the size of plates. Very big plates.

" Why, Severus. I didn't know you enjoyed dancing," he silkily asked.

" Well, I do," was Snape's curt answer.

Lucius nodded and forced a smile as he let go of Kyra, who had witnessed the entire scene without believing her eyes.

" We'll continue later, Miss Gardner," he whispered, leaning a bit towards her. The way in which he was looking at Kyra nauseated Severus; it was both predatory and lascivious. 

Lucius then whirled around, ignoring his presence and left the dance floor. Kyra smiled at the retreating figure and then turned to Severus. He extended a slender hand for her to take.

" Would you care to dance, Miss Gardner?" He asked, reading the confusion in her face.

" Er… sure, Professor," she answered taking his hand. As his hand clasped hers, time seemed to stop. 

Kyra was sure she was dreaming. Everything seemed surreal and all she was aware of was his hand holding hers, their fingers touching, their skin in contact... and when he gently pressed her body against his she had to struggle to remain calm, when everything inside of her was on fire.

They started swaying along the music and Ky noticed he was actually quite good, at dancing, just as graceful as always. She then looked around and couldn't help but to smile as every single student looked at her and the Potions Masters dance. 

' Let them watch,' she thought as she set everything aside, only wanting to hold on to the wonderful sensations that were going through her body.

Severus closed his eyes for a moment, simply allowing himself to feel and smell her, trying to imprint that moment on all of his senses; pretty sure it would never happen again. Then he reopened his eyes; taking in the beauty in front of him, almost not believing it was true. He could smell Kyra's faint perfume, a light blend of flowers and fruits, mixing with her own scent and he found it pleasing. He could feel her relaxing against his body and that told him something he refused to believe: she was comfortable with him.

They danced around the room as if there was no floor beneath them. He held her close, one of her hands tucked in his and the other one resting over his heart. His other hand was settled on the small of her back. She rested her head against his chest as the first song ended and another one begun; his promise of dancing 'only one' was clearly forgotten.

At that moment, Kyra looked up at him with a bright smile and smoldered eyes.

" You look great in your Dracula outfit," she whispered.

" I am not wearing a costume," answered Severus feeling quite confused.

" I know," was her earnest reply. And then she broke into laughter.

So she was teasing him...

" I am glad I can result in your amusement, Miss Gardner," he said with a chuckle. " But it hope that making fun of me will not turn into a habit."

" Of course not, Professor. Must be this festive air what makes me act so foolishly," she answered, imitating him to perfection.

Severus shot her a murderous glance. " May I remind you I am still your Professor and..."

" Again, the festivity is to blame. All these people in their colorful outfits..."

" Speaking of such, I never expected Miss Dupont to wear such a... such an original costume."

" Actually, none of us did. Apparently, she thought it would be funny to scandalize us."

" Her choice of outfit is most shameful, but not half as much as the red brassiere that is so easily perceived under such a thin blouse," he commented casually, but with a wicked sparkle in his obsidian eyes.

She choked on her own breath. " Well, why, I-I didn't..." she stammered, while blushing radioactive red.

Severus smiled inwardly, pleased to see that his comment had managed to break her composure for a second.

" I am not complaining, though," he hinted.

Kyra gasped and they stared into each other's eyes for a long time before realizing the song was over. Seeing it was about time for him to go back and sulk in a dark corner like he usually did, he let go of Kyra. Reluctantly, Severus broke eye and body contact and led her back to where a seething John was standing.

" What the bloody hell is this?" He hissed, behind tightly pressed teeth.

Snape chuckled, eyeing him with an air of superiority. " My, we are in a charming disposition tonight, aren't we, Mr. Reid?" 

" I wasn't talking to you, _Professor_," replied John, frowning at the last word as if it had tasted bad.

" John, please..." Intervened Kyra, placing a hand on his arm.

The boy yanked it away immediately. " What were you doing with _him_?"

Snape looked at him severely. " I would advice you n_ever_ take that tone with me again, Mr. Reid. It will prove most detrimental," he said tersely. " I believe you have some issues to discuss, so I will leave now. Miss Gardner," he greeted her with a short nod an ignored John as if he had been a piece of furniture.

When he had reached a prudential distance, John let his anger run free. " Well, Gryffindor be damned! What the hell did you think you were doing?!"

Kyra's rage was a volcano about to erupt, but she managed to keep it at bay, answering with a simple, " Dancing."

" With Malfoy!" Retorted John.

" Well, he asked me and you weren't around," was her short reply.

" How could you? He's a sodding prat! And then with Snape? That was quite a show you gave."

At that admonition, Kyra exploded. " Oh, John Andrew Reid, just shut the fuck up! You don't fucking own me and I am more than free to do whatever the hell I fell like!"

During their fight, Dumbledore had approached the Potions Master, who was now standing in a corner, looking completely spaced out.

" I hadn't seen you dance in a while, Severus," he started.

" Why does it matter so much to you, Albus?"

" Well, Severus, you are the only faculty member below the age of seventy and it is good seeing you enjoy yourself."

Snape snorted. " Albus, I only asked Miss Gardner to dance in order to keep Malfoy away from her..."

" Of course, my boy," he said benevolently, his eyes sparkling. " Of course." The Headmaster then turned to look at Kyra and John and sensing a storm approaching if no one intervened, he went over to her and asked her to dance.

She graciously accepted and Dumbledore led her through the cloud of colorful dancers.

" This is most pleasant, my dear. Dancing is always such a wonderful activity."

" It surely is, Headmaster."

He noticed her gaze had wandered to where Severus was.

" The woman who finds the human side of him will be very lucky, I think," was his only comment. But it was enough to make Kyra blush deep crimson.

Lucky for her, the dance ended and Dumbledore led her back to her group of friends. And then, as if her argument with John hadn't been enough, Kyra had had to endure Marianne's: " How can you even get close to such a lowlife bastard? Can't you see that he's probably a Death Eater and wants to use you for something? If I were you' I'd worry a bit more about the company I keep..." And on and on like that until Jeremy dragged her to the dance floor. Kyra was immensely thankful for that; she knew her friend meant only well, but it had left her with her head swirling and her mood deteriorated.

She walked around the Great Hall for a while, stopping to make small talk with some other students, like Percy Weasley and his girlfriend, until she decided to call it a night. John was nowhere in sight, Hélène and Marianne were with their dates... Sighing, Kyra gave up on trying to enjoy the rest of the evening and left the ball. 

Two hours later she was lying in bed, not even trying to sleep, when the sound of her own door opening surprised her. It was immediately followed by a, " Ky, are you up?"

She recognized her Gryffindor friend's voice. " Hélliè, what are you doing here?" She asked, followed by " _Lumos!_" 

Light filled the room and it allowed her to see a very flustered and smiling Hélène. " I'm sorry I entered just like this, but the door was unwarded... I just wanted to chat for a while. Thought it might be neat, considering you've got this whole room to yourself..."

Kyra smiled benevolently and patted her bed. " Come here and take this cover or you'll freeze," she said, tossing her a dark purple comforter.

Hélène took it and proceeded to make herself comfortable on Kyra's bed, sighing contentedly when she finished.

" Does anyone know you're here?" Asked Ky.

" No, I used a silencing spell and sneaked here from the dorm."

Kyra gave her a gentle shove. " You just couldn't pass a good adventure, huh?"

" You know me too well. But, Ky, what the hell was all that dancing with Snape and Malfoy Sr. about?"

The Slytherin sighed tiredly. " Are you going to say I made quite a show, that it was improper, that I should think about my reputation? Because, trust me, I've already heard that."

Hélène shook her head vigorously. " No, Ky, I'm not. But... you danced with Snape! Are you sure you're not ill?

" Héll..." There was a hint of warning in her tone and her friend raised her palms, as in defense.

" OK, OK. What amazes me the most is that Snape asked you to dance! In seven years, I've never seen him do that!"

" I know, and I was totally puzzled! But I bet he did it 'cause he thought it was inappropriate for me to dance with Mr. Malfoy."

" Maybe. But why were you doing that?" Asked Hélène frowning.

" Oh, I don't know! He just came and asked me and... damn, he has this thing about him..."

" What, that he's probably as much of a git as his son?" Offered her, half jokingly, but also half seriously.

" No... I don't know. Anyway, enough of me. How was your evening?" Asked Kyra.

At that question, Hélène fixed her eyes on the carpet and her pale complexion became suddenly bright pink, a color the Gryffindor truly hated.

" Well, nice, you know..."

Kyra snorted. " Let's get to the point here. You really like Frederic, don't you?"

" Yes..."

" Something happened, right?"

" Yes..."

Hélène was never the kind of person to answer in monosyllables, so that meant something very important had taken place on her life.

" So, spit it."

The girl took a deep breath. " After you left, he invited me outside. I mean, it's such a lovely night and it wasn't very cold..."

" Hélliè, I think we're deviating from the point here..."

" Yes, you're right. Well, it's just that... he... he kissed me, Ky!" Announced her friend, bursting with joy.

Kyra gave her a tight hug. " Oh God, how wonderful!"

" Yeah... it _felt_ wonderful indeed. But now I don't know what to do. Merlin, I don't have much experience in this."

" It's not a matter of experience, girl. It's a matter of doing what feels right."

And as the friends spent the entire night talking, a certain Potions Master laid awake in bed. Gloomy thoughts were ran through his head, until exhaustion took the best of him. He fell asleep with only one thing in mind: he was much too old for her anyway. And she was much too beautiful for him.


	9. Excuses

**Chapter nine: Excuses.**

November had flown by and before Kyra noticed, so had half of December. It seemed that all students did was talking excitedly about the Holidays and the upcoming Yule Ball. She and her friends never spent the Holiday season at Hogwarts, since they all preferred going back home and be with their families.

All except for John. His parents had been killed during Voldemort's first rise, all because his mother was a muggle and her father had tried to protect her. His grandparents had raised him, but they too had died and, not being in possession of any other relatives, John was now fully alone in the world. Kyra, Marianne and Hélène did all they could to make up for his lack of family, having assumed the roles of sisters for the boy.

Poor Johnny. After the ball, he had apologized several times and Kyra finally forgave him. How could she not? As infuriating and overprotective he could be, she loved him; and that was what mattered. Of course, she had made him swear he would never be 'such an asshole' again. In fact, they had all dropped the whole 'You danced with Snape and Malfoy subject and harmony reigned again among the four friends.

That day, they had studied together after class and then Ky had gone to her room in order to owl her parents. She wanted to let them know that John had, once again, happily agreed to spend Christmas break with them. She knew they would be thrilled; during those years, Kyra's family had accepted the boy as one more of them and John was always warmly welcomed in the Gardner family circle.

However, no matter how close she was to him, or Marianne and Hélène, while being at Hogwarts, she had never crossed certain lines, like inviting them to her Slytherin common dorm or having dinner at another table other than hers. 

Well, that was about to change. Smiling, she straightened her uniform and ran to the Great Hall. At its entrance were waiting her three friends.

" Never on time, Kyra," mockingly reprimanded Hélène.

" Oh, it's just that my hair refused to cooperate," she said, absentmindedly running a hand through her thick mane of lustrous hair. She had straightened it to perfection and added a few rhinestone bobby-pins to keep it from falling in front of her face. 

" Of course, and Merlin forbid you leave your chambers looking less than perfect," joked John, giving her a soft shove.

" Well, how else would I conquer such wonderful matches as Draco Malfoy?"

The boy looked scandalized at her comment and she blew him a kiss before turning to Marianne, who asked her, " Have you thought about what we propositioned you?"

" Yeah. And considering this is our last year together and that no member from my House seems to find any pleasure in eating by my side, the answer is YES," she announced.

John gave her a tight hug. " Great! Then come... let's go get some cool seats."

As they entered the Great Hall, Marianne had to head to her own table. She did so, only after whispering, " And tomorrow you'll have lunch at MY table." 

" And one day we can all sit together. That'll be so cool!" Added Hélène.

The friends found three seats and proceeded to take them. Kyra noticed some Gryffindors were eyeing her suspiciously and she sighed. " I just hope I won't get in trouble for this."

" What's the worst that could happen? That the greasy git tells you off for that? At least you'd have had a good time with us," replied Johnny, as he devoured his kidney pie.

Kyra looked at him and frowned; she had always hated that sample of English cuisine. " Yeah, you're right," she replied.

" See? You must always see the glass half-full, not half-empty," lectured Hélène, helping herself to her second serving of plum pudding. The Gryffindor loved sweets and she would often skip the main courses to have only the desserts.

Kyra imitated her, putting her diet aside for a night.

***

Severus Snape could not bring himself to actually eat any dinner. He could pick her voice out of the crowd. She was laughing with those friends of hers. He speared a carrot violently. All he wanted to do was forget about her. Just not think about Kyra Gardner for one second. But he couldn't get her out of his head. 

As casually as he could, he let his gaze wander around the Great Hall until his eyes fell on her. She was sitting at the Gryffndor table, chatting animatedly with that Dupont girl she spent most of her time with. And then, it hit him: a wonderful idea for spending a bit more time with her. He knew she wouldn't like it, but at that point, he decided to ignore that fact.

When dinner was over, he followed her outside the Great Hall and stopped her before she could follow her friends.

" Miss Gardner?" He called out for her.

Kyra turned and smiled at him. " Yes, Professor Snape?"

" There is a matter I would like to discuss with you. _Now_." He noticed she looked rather surprised, yet she didn't complain.

" Sure, Sir," she said obediently.

" Then come to my office," he commanded.

Kyra shot her friends a perplexed look before starting to follow him. As they were walking, a million different question plagued her mind until she couldn't hold her tongue for any longer.

" Have I done something incorrect?" Was her soft question.

" That depends on how you see it." The enigmatic answer didn't satisfy her curiosity, but his tone told her she better waited until they were at his office.

Once they were there, he rigidly sat behind his desk and motioned for her to sit in front of him. As soon as she obeyed, he started talking.

" I saw you tonight, sitting at the Gryffindor table," he said, not sounding too pleased by that fact.

' Oh… so that's what this is all about?' Thought Kyra, rather amused.

" Yes… Hélène invited me to have dinner at her table and, well, since at the Slytherin table the atmosphere is not exactly cheery…"

" She alone invited you?" He cut her in.

Kyra frowned. " Her and John, but I don't see the relevance of…"

" That is for me to judge, not you," he replied a bit too harshly. " Anyway, I hope this had been the first and last time you conduct yourself in such an inappropriate manner."

The girl looked at him with disappointment written on her face. " But, Professor… Marianne wanted me to join her for lunch tomorrow! I know she's in Ravenclaw, but she is one of my best friends," she protested.

" What has driven you to turn your back at your own House?"

" I'm not doing that, Professor, I just… well, this is the first time in six years I don't eat at the Slytherin table, it's not to make such a fuss."

" Come again?" He asked, his features assuming the rigidity of a granite rock.  

Kyra realized she had made a big mistake as soon as those words left her lips. " No, nothing, I'm sorry."

" That was utterly disrespectful, Miss Gardner."

" I'm sorry, Professor… I didn't mean to be insolent, really. I spoke without thinking… I tend to do that," she whispered, giving him her best apologetic look.

Snape softened a bit; the last thing he wanted was to scare her. " You better be more careful in the future," he warned.

" Yes, Sir."

" Now, back to my main concern: you cannot continue with those friendships, you are disgracing our House!"

" I'm not disgracing anything that wasn't already disgraced," she muttered. Another mistake.

" What is that supposed to mean, Miss Gardner?" He asked tersely.

But this time, she wasn't going to back out. " What I mean is how can a House survive when you can't trust any of its members? When you have to watch every step you take, afraid of being too good or too cruel? A House in which there's no union, where members think they're above others just because of their nationality or their ascendance?" She asked him, her voice showing a million different emotions, none of them too pleasant.

Severus didn't have the strength to chastise her. He knew exactly how she felt, mainly because he had felt the exact same way while being a Death Eater; trapped, in constant fear of being labeled wrongly... And the thought of her enduring that feeling everyday brought an unusual sense of sorrow to him.

" So, you regret having been sorted into Slytherin?" He asked, a bit more gently this time.

" No, not at all," she replied, surprising him. " I'm proud of my House… there's no other one I fit better than in it and I know I shouldn't have said that. I'm just… tired. No matter how hard I tried in the past 6 years, I was always pushed aside. I know I belong in Slytherin, I just wish the Slytherins accepted me." 

At that moment, there was so much hurt in her eyes that she looked a hundred years old. Severus knew her House-mates constant hostility had caused her a great deal of pain and he whished he could punish every single one of them for that. He ached to comfort her, to do something to make her feel better… 

Kyra looked up at him and noticed his expression had softened up to a point in which he seemed almost... humane, as he pensively observed her.

" Do not pay attention to them, Miss Gardner," he said, his voice holding a note she had never heard before: kindness. " You are a brilliant young woman and have earned my good concept and the one of people more worthy than them."

Such a compliment from Snape was something unprecedented and had left the girl completely speechless. " Thank you, Professor," she managed to whisper.

For a moment, he seemed confused, and she honestly hoped he wouldn't take back what he had just told her.

" Yes. You can go now," he said, waving his hand in dismissal.

Kyra licked her lips and smiled at him. " Good night, Professor."

She didn't wait for an answer and left the dungeons unsure of what, if any, had just transpired between her and her Professor. Kyra had a strange feeling that that simple talk had somehow brought her a bit closer to him... she didn't understand why she wanted that so badly.

There was just something about Snape that grabbed at her. His intelligence ran deep; he challenged her, made her look farther into herself than she ever had before. There was something about him, something she couldn't ignore. Something that stirred her soul and left her weak.

Kyra shook her head. She had to do something to get him out of her mind. Well, maybe the break would help...


	10. You're the light in my darkest hour

**Chapter ten: ****You're the light in my darkest hour.**

It was January. Kyra had started the new term refreshed after the lovely holidays she had spent at her home and with Johnny. Also, she had learnt that trying to put Snape out of her mind was completely useless, so she stopped trying and found herself thinking about him several times; wondering what could he be doing, how would he spend his Holidays. 

Now, being back at Hogwarts and having classes with him again... she didn't know for how much longer she would be able to keep her feelings at bay. That night at dinner she had been so happy to see him again...

A soft tapping on her window brought her out of her pensive state. Kyra hurried to open it and was a bit surprised to see Genevieve's owl there. 

" Geneva, what are you doing here?"

She hooted gravely and that made Kyra even more unease. When she opened the letter, all color drained from her face.

***

The eerie pale glow the full moon radiated filled the deserted corridors of Hogwarts. It was cold, almost 2 AM already and all students were supposed to be asleep, but Snape was sure that he had heard some noise. It seemed to have come from one of the top floors and he hurried to investigate.

He had been up and walking around the corridors, since sleep was eluding him that night. There were many things going around his head and he was trying to rationalize them, when he heard it. It sounded as if someone was crying, like an echo of muffled sobs coming from somewhere in the shadows.

He was never more thankful for his acute sense of hearing than at that moment. Following the faint sounds, he headed to the eastern wing. He frowned at the lack of light and pointed his wand forward.

" _Lumos!_" He commanded. 

And then he saw her. She was sitting on the dusty floor, resting her head on her knees. She was barefoot and wearing a long short-sleeved nightgown made of lilac silk. Her head was a wild mass of tangles and she seemed so lonely and lost that his heart went to her immediately.

" Miss Gardner?!" He asked, bewildered. 

She lifted her tearstained face up at him and he noticed she was deathly pale, almost like a ghost.

" Professor Snape, I'm sorry," she muttered, trying to restrain her tears, but to no avail. When she started crying again, burying her face in her hands, he felt the strong urge to comfort her in some way. 

He kneeled down, and gathered her to him in a comforting, soothing embrace. Kyra closed her eyes, attempting to gather her breath. " You stupid, silly girl," she heard him whisper. " You're cold!"

His hand caressed her hair tenderly, and she sensed that he was enjoying the closeness as much as she was. Her ragged, rapid breathing calmed down, and she felt his heartbeat reduce. 

Kyra prayed the moment would last forever, but he finally pushed her away, reluctantly it seemed. " What happened?" He asked simply. " Why are you crying?"

" I… nothing, Professor, don't worry."

" I have gotten to know you…" he said, then looked embarrassed for having admitted that, and continued. " There's something else you're not telling me..." She just looked up at him, not sure what to say.

Severus, noticing her incessant shivers, removed his black cloak. After wrapping it around her shoulders, he took her hands in his and spoke solemnly to her. " Listen, I don't know what reason might be preventing you from telling what has reduced you to such a convulsive state, but I beg of you, discard that reason and tell me so we can find a solution."

' I hate seeing her like this,' Severus thought, rubbing her hand with his thumb absentmindedly.

" She's dead," Kyra whispered after a long pause. " Do you think we could find a solution to that?" Even between her tears she managed to give him a half smile.

" Who died, Miss Gardner?" He asked, and then felt the need to kick himself for having been so tactless.

" My grandmother, Sir, the only one I had left. My parents sent a telegram to Genevieve's house and she owled it to me," she explained, gravely.

Severus didn't know what to say. All he could think of was finding a way to make her pain go away, but how? " My deepest condolences, Miss Gardner."

" Thank you..." whispered Kyra.

" But why were you here?"

" When I received the news I… I don't know, I left my room and started wandering, not knowing what to do… I know I deserve detention for that."

" I will judge that, continue."

" OK… then, I started crying and I didn't know where I was going until I ended here. I didn't feel like moving, so I just stayed and, well, it all seems rather silly to me now," she finished and looked away.

" It's NOT silly, not at all! Don't say that," said Severus with an ardor she had never heard him express before.

Kyra's eyes met his and, for a while, none of them talked. He wanted to give her another hug, feel her against him again, but he'd become self-conscious once again about his appearance. ' She would be disgusted,' he thought. ' Now that she's recovered.'

" Will you… attend her funeral?" He asked, as softly as he could.

" I don't see how… the trip would take me at least four days and this is a very hectic time of the year… besides, I have your Potions Theory exam the day after tomorrow."

" Miss Gardner, you are a top student, I'm sure that a few days of absence won't change that. As for the exam… we'll work something out."

Her face lit up as if he had given her a great gift. " Really?"

" There is no need for you to worry about that now. I will speak to Dumbledore, he'll get in touch with your parents and they'll take care of everything, alright?" He asked, giving her hand (which he had been holding all along) a firm squeeze.

Kyra looked at him with immense gratitude filling her soulful blue eyes. " Thank you, Professor. This means a lot to me."

He nodded. " Do you think you can walk?"

" Yeah…"

" Then I'll escort you to your room."

He then put his hands on Kyra's waist to help her get up. When her feet were firmly on the ground, Severus didn't let go of her right away. She looked up into his eyes as he stared down at her, confused by what she saw. There was a look of wonder and almost of something related to love or desire; she couldn't put a name to it, blazing in his dark eyes. She looked away quickly, wondering if she was mistaken.

Snape, surprised by what he had just done removed his hands from her waist. As he did so, her legs started shaking and he had no other choice but to place an arm around her shoulders and draw her to him.

" You are weak," he stated.

" Too many strong emotions, I guess," she replied.

He didn't know if she was talking about her grandmother's death or something else, but decided it was better not to inquire any further. Not if he wanted to maintain the little control he had left.

He then started walking and his arm tightened around her shoulders.

" Ouch…" he heard her whisper and stopped immediately to look at her.

" What is it?"

" No, nothing…" she said, shaking her head.

" Miss Gardner."

" Oh, well, if you must now! When I was walking in the dark, I think I hit myself with one of the statues..."

" Where?"

" Here," she replied, gently touching her right shoulder.

" Let me see…" he commanded.

" No, there's no need, really."

Snape waggled his fingers, " Do not argue with me, girl. Let me look!"

Sighing, Kyra turned, giving him full access to her injured shoulder. She could feel his warm breath against her cod skin as he lowered his head to examine her. It felt so good, being that close to him...

Severus inhaled deeply and slowly as he softly lowered the thin silk of her nightgown's sleeve, baring the milky skin. It was such an intimate gesture...

" It is, indeed, a very ugly bruise, Miss Gardner," he sentenced, forcing himself back to reality. " You will need to apply a potion in order to stop the swelling. I will give you one."

" Thank you, Professor."

They walked in silence, until reaching her room.

" Get in bed and drink something warm," he instructed her once they were inside. " I will return with the potion and to inform you of the measures concerning your departure."

" I'll leave the door open," she said simply.

Severus swallowed the hard lump in the back of his throat before nodding and leaving, his cloak billowing out behind him.

Half an hour later, he was back. He quietly entered her room and found Kyra in bed. " Miss Gardner, everything is arranged. You will leave in five hours on the Hogwarts Express. Can you get to the airport from the station?"

" Yeah…"

" It's settled then. Here's your potion," he said, handing her a small vial filled with a dark gray substance. " Rub it on the bruise twice a day and it will help the tissues to heal."

" Thank you. And, Professor... would you please inform my friends of this? I don't want to wake them but I don't want them to worry either."

" I will, Miss Gardner. Now you need to get some rest, tomorrow will be a long day for you to bear."

" You're right. Thank you for everything, sir."

" It was nothing. Have a safe trip tomorrow," he said swiftly, before leaving her room.

Kyra pulled up her covers and willed herself to sleep, thinking that without his support, things would have been a lot harder for her to bear.

***

As he was walking back to the dungeons, Snape caught a glimpse of himself in a dusty mirror across the hall and took several long, heavy strides towards it. He pressed the palms of his hands against either side of the frame and looked at himself for a moment. All he saw was a pale malicious face looking back at him. He was a mess. No man who looked like _that_ deserved a woman like Kyra. She was beauty beyond beauty. She deserved a man who could look at himself and feel proud of what he saw. He never had, but he wasn't entirely like the mirror reflected.

' But what if she...? No! She could never have feelings for me, I must be delusional.'

With that, he made his way back to the cold darkness of his chambers.

***

Before she had any time to think about anything, Kyra was back at Hogwarts. Dumbledore had sent her to London by the Hogwarts Express. It had been fun having the entire train for herself and it had also given her time to grieve on her own. Once in London, she had got a cab to Heathrow, where she took a flight back home.

The funeral had been... well, it had been like a funeral. Kyra had stayed for two days with her parents before returning to England. And upon her return, she had had to endure her three friends hovering around her in a concerned way, treating her as if she was made of porcelain. Kyra had accepted it thankfully, knowing it was their way of showing her how much they cared about her, how much they loved her. But after two days of that, however, they were starting to make her feel a bit edgy. Specially John.

Tonight, he had insisted on escorting her to her room after dinner and seemed reluctant to let her go. Kyra sighed, she needed to get some sleep, for she had her Potions Theory exam the next morning. Since she had missed it on the scheduled day because of her trip to America, Snape had given her the opportunity to take her exam on another date.

And every time she thought of her Potions Professor...

" Ky, are you alright?" John's voice brought her out of her reverie.

Kyra frowned, after hearing it more than ten times a day, she was starting to hate that question.

" Johnny, I'm sorry, but tomorrow I have my Potions Theory exam..." She told him.

The boy snorted. " Oh, with greasehead?"

" With Professor Snape," she sternly corrected him. " He's not as bad as you think, Johnny..."

" What, are you going to tell me he's a nice guy?" He retorted.

" No, but..."

" Or that every woman at Hogwarts is taken with him?"

She shook her head; sometimes John could be really tiring. " What does that have to do with anything? Anyway, maybe someone is."

" An admirer? Snape? Funny, I didn't know that a blind moron attended Hogwarts."

" OK, as you wish. Now, go to your dorm. I need to sleep," she said seriously.

" Are you sure you're OK?"

That damned question again... " Yes, Johnny, I am. Now go..."

" Alright, see you tomorrow," he said and kissed her cheek.

She smiled sweetly and watched the boy disappear down the hallway.

' Guess I'm a blind moron, then,' mused Kyra with an inward smile.


	11. The traitor

**Chapter eleven: The traitor.**

Morning came sooner than she wished and Kyra found herself at the dungeons, waiting for Professor Snape to arrive. She remembered how tender he had been that night when he had found her crying, how warm his embrace had been... that night had given her feelings for him a new turn. And she was immensely grateful for him giving her another chance to sit for the exam. The downside of that was that she was to take it with the 5th year Hufflepuffs. Not that she cared, actually, the kids were harmless. All except for one.

Snape entered the room and everyone went silent. With a softer tone than the one he used with the other students, he told her to take the empty space next to the one and only Huffie she disliked: that obnoxious Matthew Anderson kid. Now, Hufflepuffs weren't like that at all, so the Sorting Hat had probably screwed up big time. The poor brat was after a Slytherin girl and the best way to become appealing to her he could think about was to be as mean as he possibly could. He spent all his time imitating the members of her House; and since they disliked her, he disliked her as well.

Now, Kyra was good-natured and polite, but when someone messed with her… well, that person was in huge trouble. She could ignore the Slytherins, mainly because she knew that was how they were, but that that kid, who had nothing to hold against her, was actually _against_ her… that was very serious.

Sighing, she focused on her exam and was halfway through it when she heard some strange noises coming from somewhere next to her. Kyra lifted her gaze and noticed Matthew pulling up his sleeve. She was enraged to see that the stupid           boy's body was covered by writings. ' He's cheating!' She thought. And Kyra knew she had to do something about it.

Coughing softly, as to clear her throat, she managed to catch Professor Snape's attention. His eyes fell on her and she acted as if she hadn't noticed that. Pretending to stretch the sore muscles of her neck, she looked to her side, where Anderson was and her eyes widened in a very calculated expression of surprise. For a few seconds, she stared at the boy and then turned her gaze back to her exam, shaking her head lightly, as in disapproval.

Snape frowned. What had she seen? It was impossible that the kid was cheating, but she had seen something. Getting up, he approached Anderson's table and noted he was shifting uneasily under his scrutiny; that told him the boy was up to something. As he passed the desk, he noticed him trying to hide something… there were some marks in his arm…

" Mr. Anderson!" He snapped, causing everyone to jump off their seats.

" S-s-sir…" Stammered the poor boy. " W-what i-is it?"

" Show me your arm." As he didn't move and chose to examine the floor instead, Snape grew even more infuriated. " I asked you to show me your arm, sometime within this century!"

Matthew lifted his arm and looked away in embarrassment (and in fear), as Snape grabbed it none-too-gently and examined it.

His lips curved up in one of the most sinister smiles anyone had ever seen. " Cheating, Mr. Anderson? How very disappointing from you! And using a Muggle method? Distastefully uncreative."

" S-sorry sir, I didn't have time to revise..."

" And your House having the fame of having hard-working members..." He cut him in. " Pity, really. A hundred points from Hufflepuff! And you shall go see the Headmaster at once," he barked at the poor boy.

Immediately, Snape called for Filch, who came in to escort Matthew to Dumbledore's office. Once they were gone, the Potions Master turned to the rest of the students.

" There is nothing to see, so I suggest you focus on your exams. You only have an hour left," he said with a sneer.

The shocked Huffies went back to their work. Kyra did the same and was ready to hand in in less than ten minutes. As she approached his desk, Severus observed her with wonder. He had never expected the girl to do such thing. Before he knew, she was about to exit the classroom.

" Miss Gardner," he called out for her. " Perhaps you would like to stay while I grade your exam." He looked into her eyes and a silent understanding passed between them.

Kyra smiled to herself, knowing that wasn't the reason why he had asked her to stay behind.

" Of course, sir," she replied calmly and went back to her seat. Pulling out a heavy volume of '_Louisa Coolidge's romantic novels for the young witch'_, she proceeded to read until the exam time was up and all the Hufflepuffs had left the dungeons. She then looked up at Severus and smiled placidly.

" Miss Gardner," he started, pacing behind his desk. " You knew that Mr. Anderson was cheating." It was an affirmation, not a question and Kyra simply nodded. " And you put one hell of an act so I noticed that he was."

" Yes, Sir."

" I did not know you disliked Hufflepuffs so much," he said, questioningly raising an eyebrow.

" I didn't tell on him only because he was a Hufflepuff," replied Kyra shrugging.

" Then why did you do it?"

" Because I remember having busted my buns for months studying for that test when I was in my fifth year and I wasn't going to let that little… you know, get away with his cheating and a better mark than mine," she stated.

" No one, ever, gets better grades than you, Miss Gardner," Snape pointed out.

Kyra almost fainted. Had that been some sort of compliment? No, she probably got it wrong and it was a sarcastic comment; Severus Snape never complimented anyone.

" Besides, the prick has treated me like dirt for as long as I've had the pleasure of knowing him, so I thought it would be nice to make him pay," she went on.

" That was very Slytherin from you, Miss Gardner." 

Kyra felt tempted to ask him if that was a good or a bad thing, but seeing that her Professor was in a slightly less horrid mood than his usual one, she decided it would be better not to do anything that could ruin such state of things. So she just sighed contentedly. Professor Snape's reaction at Matthew's cheating had been so amusing!

Snape sighed inwardly. He wondered if she knew how beautiful she looked just sitting there... It was very hard for him being near her and having to restrain himself, for she was his student. He had admitted to himself long ago that he liked her and now he had to acknowledge that after the day's events, he liked her even more. 

" You can go now, Miss Gardner," he said shortly.

" But I thought you were going to grade my exam," was her protest.

" You will have to wait until the rest of your classmates get their own. Why should you get any special treatment?"

Kyra smiled, that had been cruel, even from Snape. But that was exactly why he liked him so much. " OK, then I'll see you tomorrow, sir."

Without waiting for an answer, she left the dungeons and hurried towards her Herbology class, running into the very Matthew Anderson on her way. At the sight of his tear-streaked face, Kyra felt guilt twinge inside of her. But as he passed her down the hall, giving her a quick shove and muttering something about 'damn mudbloods', her satisfaction was back. He had got what he deserved.

***

The following day, Kyra and her two Gryffindor friends were at the dungeons, sitting on the floor and surrounded by the rest of their classmates. Snape had announced he would give out their grades before lunch, so they were all there, waiting for them. The aura of apprehension was almost palpable.

The Potions Master opened his office's door and saw her outside, waiting with that unnerving friend of hers for their grades... truth was, John's constant presence by her side annoyed Snape to no end. He found himself envious of their relationship, the way they interacted with each other in open displays of affection and easy laughter. Countless times he had seen her laugh or blush at one of the boy's remarks, occasionally touching his arm or resting her head on his shoulder. It made Snape's blood boil with... yes, jealousy. 

With a frightful scowl, he called out for her and proceeded to wait at the door while Kyra got up and smiled to her friends, who returned her smile encouragingly. His anger knew no limits as John got up as well and gave her a peck on the cheek.

" Should I order tea while I wait for you to grace me with your eminent presence, Miss Gardner?" He snapped.

" I'm sorry, Professor," she muttered and followed him inside.

" Sit, Miss Gardner," he commanded from behind his impressive desk.

Five minutes later, Kyra emerged from the office with a huge grin on her face. " I got a 98!!!" She announced, bursting with satisfaction.

John hurried to give her a hug, while Hélène congratulated her. Then, the three of them proceeded to wait until it was Hélène's turn. She took a deep breath and adventured into the lion's den. A long while later, she left the Potions Master's office looking rather downcast. John and Kyra rushed to her side.

" What happened?" They asked in unison.

" He gave me a 30!" Said Hélène, her voice filled with barely contained fury. " He said that I had made a really big mistake in one of the questions and that I didn't deserve to be approved..."

" Just because of one mistake? That's unfair!" Raged John.

And just when Kyra was about to open her mouth and dedicate her professor quite a few unladylike expletives, the door opened and they could hear his voice calling out, " John Andrew Reid!"

Johnny hurried to enter and Kyra turned to Hélène. She was trembling with rage.

" Go outside, some fresh air might help…" she suggested. " Besides, Marianne was gonna get us something to eat and wait for us by the Quidditch field."

" OK…"

Kyra gave her friend a light hug and watched her walk away. The unfairness committed against Hélène had angered her to no end. She could like Snape very much, but that didn't mean he wasn't a real bastard at times.

When Johnny left the office with an unreadable expression, Kyra hurried to ask, " So?"

" I passed! 61, but I passed!" He screamed, full of satisfaction.

She emitted a cry of pure joy and raced towards John. He opened his arms and Kyra went airborne. He caught her in his embrace, burying his face in her neck as she held him with all her strength in an exuberant embrace. 

They were unaware of Snape watching them bitterly as she proceeded to rain kisses all over his face.  

" Miss Gardner, Mister Reid!" He yelled. " It is most unbecoming for the two of you to allow your hormones take control of your bodies in the middle of the hallway. I would suggest you take it to somewhere private and spare us from having to stomach such a sight."

" Professor, we weren't..."

" And fifty points from Gryffindor for indecent public display of affection!" He added, ignoring Kyra and slammed the door of his office shut.

John spent the rest of the walk to the Quidditch field cursing Snape in English, Spanish, German and Arabic. 

" Oh, c'mon Johnny!"

" Ky, thing is, I hate the goddamned overgrown bat and I'd be happy to see him rot in hell."

" Chill out, hon', at least you passed the exam!"

" Thanks a lot for the support, Ky. I know that without your help I wouldn't have made it... But what I'd really like right now is Snape's head on a spike. I think it's time for him to realize that there's more to life than just being a hardass git."

Kyra didn't reply to that. She knew he had been awful that day, but that didn't keep her from being disappointed when she didn't see him at the Great Hall during dinnertime.


	12. Fire's embrace

AN: Again, a million times sorry for the delay. It's just that my laptop keeps having huge problems and I don't know where else to take it so it can be fixed. Anyway, here's a new chappie and I promise the next one will be uploaded in a week. Thanks for the patience!

**Chapter twelve: Fire's embrace.**

About 1 AM, Kyra woke up with a strange impression. There was something wrong, she could sense that. After putting on a pair of slippers and a lavender robe, she left her room. Her heart was pounding so hard and loud she wondered how it didn't wake up the entire school.

The corridors were cold and Kyra shivered. Or maybe it was that sense of dread what made her body tremble so much. She didn't know, nor did she know where she was going, until she realized her instincts had guided her to Professor Snape's door. Amazed at her own boldness, she knocked. There was no answer. Kyra knocked again, this time a bit more impatiently, but she still didn't get any answer. 

And then she heard it, a tormented cry of agony coming from inside. Kyra froze, what could she do? The second scream decided for her. Quietly, she opened the door and stepped inside his chambers. They were pitch black.

" _Lumos!_" She whispered, and the tip of her wand cut through the darkness.

Holding it in front of herself, as some sort of protection, Kyra went around the room, unsure of what to do until another scream pierced the oppressive silence that surrounded her. That did it. She worked up all he courage and went into his bedroom, fear causing a cold, prickling sensation in the back of her neck. What if someone or something was making Snape scream like that?

Well, she needed to find out what was going on anyway and cast a spell to light some candles. At the sight her eyes beheld, Kyra gasped and her hands flew to cover her wide-open mouth.

Snape was lying on his bed, fully clothed and curled into a fetal ball. His faced was twitched in an expression of pure agony and his body shook violently. Kyra wasted no time. She got on her knees next to the bed, reaching out to clutch his wrist and check the pulse that vibrated beneath the pale skin. It was accelerated and weak.

What surprised her was how hot and dry his skin was.

' He's got fever!' She thought, allowing herself to feel alarmed. ' What do I do now? I can't leave him to go get some help...'

She looked around the room, trying to find something that could help her. And then, she saw it on one of the shelves: Floo powder. Kyra knew how to use it. Sighing in relief, she used it to contact the first person she thought of: Dumbledore. His face and shoulders appeared and he looked truly concerned.

" Miss Gardner? What's the matter?"

" I'm sorry to bother you, Headmaster… I… it's Professor Snape," his concern faded, being replaced by a look of worry, almost of fear.

" What about him?" He asked urgently.

" He is… sick, I guess." As to confirm her words, Snape let out another strangled cry and Dumbledore's brows furrowed in alarm. " I don't know… please, come quickly," pleaded Kyra.

She hadn't even finished her sentence, when stronger green flames erupted from the fireplace and Dumbledore stepped in the room. She couldn't help but smile at the Headmaster's eccentric pajamas. They were midnight blue and had sparkling planets that actually moved all over his chest and legs.

Without any spoken words, they both went to stand by his bed and as soon as he saw the younger wizard, Dumbledore knew Snape was experiencing the aftereffects of Cruciatus. 

Voldemort used to enjoy torturing his followers and, despite the long time that had elapsed since his defeat, the curse was an extremely raw attack against the Nervous System; and even after years of not enduring it, the nerves were still residually highly stimulated, producing those symptoms every once in a while: fever and delirium; the fever usually leading to convulsions.

Dumbledore leaned to touch Severus' forehead and removed his hand immediately. His skin had threatened to burn his fingers.

" Sweet Merlin on a broomstick! He's burning alive!"

Kyra looked at him helplessly. " I know… I found him like this and didn't know what to do."

" What were you doing here?"

" Nothing… I don't know. I woke up and I knew I had to come here, I just knew. I was a the door and heard him scream, so I entered… Maybe we should call Madame Pomfrey."

" No! I mean, there's no need for such drastic measures." The Headmaster knew how proud Severus was and he was sure he wouldn't appreciate having anyone else seeing him in the state he was in.

" But no potion or spell seems to alleviate him!" Was Ky's soft protest.

" We must cool his body."

" The muggle way has been proven very effective," suggested Kyra.

" So I've heard. Can you help me?"

" Of course," she replied without a moment of hesitation.

" Then go get some water and clean towels." 

Kyra knew she could have conjured a washcloth, but something told her Dumbledore was sending her for towels so he could undress Severus while she was gone. Nodding, she left the room and returned only seconds later with what Dumbledore had asked for.

She found that she had been right; the Headmaster had removed Snape's robes and covered him with a thin, white sheet.

" Good. Now, what we need is to apply the fresh, wet cloths to his body." Pausing to look at Kyra, he nodded briefly. " I will do it."

She raised her eyebrows. " I can handle it, you know?"

" I don't think…"

" Headmaster, I have seen a male chest before. Besides, wouldn't it be better if you went to Madame Pomfrey and asked her for a restoring potion? It's not here and I think we'll need it for when he awakes…"

" You are correct." Still, Dumbledore hesitated. " But…"

" Sir, please…"

Something in her eyes finally convinced him. " I will be back in a second."

As he left, Kyra pulled up her sleeves and kneeled next to Snape's bed. Determined to beat the fever, she dipped the cloth in the fresh water and rubbed it all across his forehead. She focused all her strength in her task, trying to ignore his occasional anguished screams. Remembering one of her mother's treatments for when she had a headache, she took one of the smallest towels and, after soaking it, placed it on top of his head. She let it rest for a few minutes and then Kyra practically freaked out when she removed the towel and it almost burnt her fingers.

" God, Professor," she whispered. " What's wrong with you?"

She replaced the towel and then used another one to wet his hair. As she was doing that, the water removed all its oil and she found his hair to be smooth, almost silky. She reached out and touched a length of it, bringing it forward and letting it slip through her fingers. She liked the way it felt.

' I wonder why he hides it… What a waste!'

Shaking her head, Kyra decided it was better to take care of his neck and upper body as well. As she lowered the sheet to apply a wet towel to his chest, she became aware of the fact it was quite sculpted. That bewildered her, the man was full of surprises. His muscles were well defined and his skin seemed so soft her fingers itched to feel it; but she controlled herself by focusing on her task. Over and over she applied the wet clothes to his forehead, chest and neck.

Dumbledore returned and after one quick glance at her, he said, " You should go back to your room. Try to rest for a while."

" Please, Professor, don't ask me to leave," she pleaded.

" But you are tired, I can see that."

" I know, I know… but I want to go on. The fever's not gone yet and who's gonna help you, sir? It's obvious that you want to keep this as a secret." The Headmaster eyed her appreciatively, admiring the sharpness of her mind.

" You are correct."

" Then why don't you try to rest? If he continues to be sick you're going to have to tend him, since I will have to attend classes in a few hours."

Dumbledore nodded. The young woman was both reasonable and capable and he knew he could trust her, but he couldn't leave her alone in a Professor's room; that would have been too compromising. As he voiced his concern, Kyra smiled sweetly.

" I understand, Headmaster. Then why don't you go to his receiving room and we leave the doors open? He's got a nice couch from where you can keep an eye on us."

Albus smiled back and after a last glance at the couple, he headed to the sofa Kyra has suggested and laid there.

She again redirected her efforts to lowering his fever and long after Dumbledore had fallen asleep, Severus whispered something she couldn't understand. He revolved in the bed, causing the sheet to slide down his left arm; when Kyra tried to cover it, she accidentally touched his inner forearm's skin. A strange glow emanated from the area, revealing a treacherous black mark. She studied it, knowing full well that it marked the followers of Voldemort. Kyra's eyes filled with tears. Snape… a Death Eater?! She refused to believe it. Yes, he was a Slytherin, her seemed mean and sinister… but there was a great difference between that and being…

Her first reaction was revulsion. Then, she started thinking. ' How could this happen? The Mark should be inactive... Voldemort's gone.' But at last, her heart started dictating her thoughts, putting the rational ones aside. ' God, no… not him. He can't be… How can he? I love him, dammit!" As she said that, realization struck her: she was in love with a Death Eater. 

An incredible urge to run away took over her and she left Snape's bedroom, swiftly passing Dumbledore's sleeping figure. But as she did so, the Headmaster's eyes snapped open.

" Miss Gardner?" He asked, noticing she was about to open the door and let herself out.

" Headmaster... I... I need to leave," she fumbled.

In a split-second, he was up and standing next to her, concern all over his face. "What is it, child? You are shaking."

" I just... please, let me go," she pleaded.

Dumbledore looked at her, his brows furrowing slightly. " I thought you wanted to help Severus."

She visibly flinched at the mention of his name and Albus studied her more intently. " Did he do anything to you?"

" Well, being a Death Eater, he could have very well killed me," Kyra stated flatly.

For what seemed ages, they stared at each other. " How did you...?" Dumbledore finally asked.

" I touched his arm and there was this spark... and I saw it: the Black Mark, looking at me. But now, please, I gotta go," she said with urgency, noticing for the first time that the Headmaster had placed his hands on her shoulders.

His mind was racing with different explanations for what Kyra had just told him. He knew the Mark was still somewhat visible on Severus' arm, but he would have never imagined it could have caused a reaction when touched by Kyra.

' There are students who can see through glamours, perhaps she can perceive the Dark Magic still emanating from the Mark,' he reflected. ' I have always thought she was special, this confirms it,' the aged wizard concluded.

He sighed inwardly, of course the girl was scared, that was to be expected. But he couldn't let her leave like that. He had been happy to know that Severus had found good company and a reliable assistant in her and he wouldn't let that change. " Calm down, girl."

" Headmaster, how can I calm down? My teacher's a bloody murderer! All those nights... all those times I've been with him... he was only trying to find a new sacrifice for that monster!" Kyra knew she was getting hysterical, but simply couldn't fight it.

" I do not think so," calmly replied Dumbledore. " Severus seems to have developed a sincere affection towards you." She frowned, but he noticed her expression had softened slightly. " Listen, Kyra, I trust him. I cannot explain you when or how, but he has given me countless proofs he is worth my trust. Isn't that enough for you?"

The battle between her fear and her faith in Dumbledore was visible in her eyes. " I... I'm not sure, Headmaster," she whispered wearily.

" I believe in second chances and I know for sure he would never harm a student, let alone you. Now, will you continue tending him or will you simply walk out on the man?" Was his question.

Still shaking, Kyra looked at Severus lying in that bed. He seemed so pained, so vulnerable it touched her heart. Memories of the times they had spent together did a lot to confirm Dumbledore's words and she relaxed a bit. She loved him and her feminine intuition told her he wasn't bad. She instinctively knew she wouldn't have fallen for a vicious murderer.  

" I'm staying," she replied resolutely.

Albus smiled proudly at her. " I knew you would, my child."


	13. To love a Death Eater

**Chapter thirteen: To love a Death Eater.**

Kyra returned to Severus' bedside and stared for what seemed like centuries at the man who lied there, seeing him now under a different light.

' Dumbledore is as puzzled as I am by what happened... but the fact here is that he is a Death Eater. What could have driven him to turn to the dark side? And how come the Headmaster trusts him? God... I can't believe the man I love has been marked by evil, but what amazes me the most is that I still love him. He's not a murderer, I know that for I know his true self...' she reflected. ' I won't walk out on him, not because of this, not now, not ever.'

After that, Kyra must have dozed off for a while, because when she returned to her senses, Snape was quiet. A bit alarmed, she got up from the chair and ran to his bed. There he lay, sleeping peacefully and she noticed a trickle of sweat on his forehead. Exhaling a deep sigh, Kyra bent forward to touch his face; his temperature was normal. Smiling now, she went to where Dumbledore was catnapping.

" Headmaster…" She whispered, gently placing a hand on Dumbledore's shoulder.

The man was immediately awake and alert. " Miss Gardner, how is he?" He asked, full of concern.

Kyra smiled soothingly. " He'll be OK. He's sleeping tranquilly and the fever's gone."

Albus returned her smile, relief all over his face. " Thanks Merlin for that."

" Yeah…"

" You can go now," he offered. 

The girl shook her head. " No, I'd rather stay and see him when he awakes." 

Dumbledore nodded benevolently, knowing there was nothing he could say or do to change her mind.

" I don't need to remind you that all this has to remain… confidential. I just wish I could tell you why," he said with a sigh.

Kyra shrugged. " There's no need to, really. I know you have your reasons."

After nodding and giving her an appraising look, Dumbledore cleared hi throat and spoke to her in a very solemn tone. " Listen, child, many have told me that I am a fool to have a former Death Eater working for me. They see the man and judge him by deeds done when he was not yet aware of how they would stain his consciousness. Will you do the same and treat him differently from now on?"

" No, sir," she replied earnestly. " Professor Snape's past activities, though shocking as they surely are, don't change the fact that he's still one of the best teachers here at Hogwarts. He has my respect and no Dark Mark will change that."

" Then go back to him. He needs the purity of your presence to recover," said the Headmaster, the twinkle in his eyes now back.

Kyra obeyed, without fully understanding his words and returned to Severus' room, kneeling by his bed.

The woman smiled to herself. She had always believed that everyone looked more innocent when they slept. Watching Snape's light breathing and relaxed face, she knew it to be true, for even he seemed lighter, the scars and losses so clearly visible in his eyes hidden and forgotten.

" God, Professor," she whispered, " why does everything have to be this difficult? I love you, yet you are so far away from me... I long for touching your hair again, kiss you, fell your warmth between my arms… but I know that's impossible, you're my teacher and you probably see me as one more of those 'dunderheads' you have to teach. Well, maybe not, since we have become… friends, I guess. But I know you still don't see the woman in me.

That woman you manage to send into emotions she has never experienced before with just one look from those onix eyes... who is so desperately in need of you that she can barely breath when you're next to her. If you only knew, Severus...

Yes, Severus, do you know how much I like your first name? I yearn for saying it out loud, scream it to the stars or whisper it into your ear. I love you, Severus... do you know that? I feel this uncanny sense of completeness whenever you're near me and I don't think it'll ever go away. So all I have to do is wait... maybe fate has some happiness for the two of us in store.

But, Lord, what will I do if it doesn't?"

***

Sorry, I know it was awfully short, but I'll make it up to you on the next chapter!!!!!!!

Love, Jeanne.


	14. Devotion in Latin

**Chapter fourteen: Devotion in Latin.**

About 6 AM, Kyra heard Snape stir and rushed to his side. He mumbled something again and opened his eyes.

" Good morning… how are you feeling?" She asked gently.

It took him a while for his eyes to focus on her figure and, when that happened, they widened in surprise.

" Miss Gardner, what are you doing here?" He asked, his voice still raspy.

" Better, I'd say. Would you like me to get you anything?" Kyra offered.

As his conscious had fully returned, he was horrified to find he was lying naked under a very thin sheet. And in front of… HER!

" Get me my clothes!" He roared.

" Okay…" She replied, good-naturedly, and complied. " Anything else?" She asked with a smile as she handed him his shirt and trousers.

" I am still waiting for an answer," was all Kyra got from him, as he hurriedly put on his black pants.

Kyra sighed at his stubbornness. " I heard you screaming in your dreams last night and I entered… you had fever and we couldn't find any potion to make you better…"

" We?" Snape interrupted her.

" Yeah, I had to call Dumbledore… You seemed very ill and I didn't know what to do, so..." continued Kyra.

" But what were you doing near these rooms?"

" I think a simple 'thank you' would do better than this interrogatory, Severus," remarked Dumbledore, entering the room.

" Headmaster."

Severus looked around and tried frantically to sit and recover a bit of his imposing figure. Kyra understood his need for regaining his dignity and helped him up, propping him with another pillow. Then, she handed him a glass of fresh water and he thanked her silently with his eyes. 

" Good morning, Severus. I believe you should thank your student here. She found you ill and reported to me, and then we had to cool your body to make the fever go away. Miss Gardner stayed all night applying wet towels to your body," said the aged wizard, the twinkle behind his half-moon spectacles increasing with every word.

Full realization stroke Snape like lightning and he felt he would die of mortification. She had seen him without clothes! That woman had to stand the sight of his pale, thin body the entire night. He didn't think he would ever be able to face her again.

Kyra, who had been silent since Albus' entrance couldn't believe her eyes, was Professor Snape blushing? But before she had the chance to find out, a scowl settled on his now stony face.

" Why didn't _you_ do it or just let me burn?! Why did you allow HER to stay here?!" He asked in outrage.

He was talking as if she hadn't been in the room and that hurt Kyra. Shaking her head, she willed away her tears, while she allowed her anger and frustration to take over.

" So sorry, Professor," she snapped. " Next time I make the obviously terrible error in judgment to be worried about you, I'll remember how nice you are and not even bother."

Severus was left speechless for a moment. He hadn't meant to insult her, let alone hurt her feelings. Knowing Dumbledore's eyes were set on him, he muttered an apology. Kyra simply acknowledged it with a nod and proceeded to set things in order around the room. The Headmaster finished telling Snape about what had taken place the previous night and then left, leaving student and teacher alone.

The woman turned to face him, all the anger gone and replaced by concern.

" Are you feeling better now, Professor?" She inquired softly.

" I am sorry you had to see that, Miss Gardner," he said as a reply, without meeting her eyes. 

Kyra understood his anger was due to his own pride. He hadn't wanted her to see him that way; in so much pain, unable to do anything, completely helpless.

She shot him a brief smile. " I'm not. Look, Professor, I know you didn't want me to see you like that... but I'm glad I was here to help you."

" Indeed, you were of great help," he accredited before getting up.

He stood in front of her and Kyra froze, unable to make her eyes leave his virile figure. There were so many questions she wanted to ask him, so many feelings that she would have liked to voice; but she remained silent, only watching him.

He saw her eyes dancing over the sight of his naked half. He stood at the side of the bed trying to read her, feeling strangely agitated under her scrutiny. Kyra's eyes upon him were making him uneasy. 

" Why are you studying me?" He asked, quickly, putting a black shirt on. 

Kyra was still for a moment. " I wasn't. You were just... there... my eyes landed on you..." she stammered, something not even his cynical gaze during Potions had accomplished.

" It makes me feel nervous when people study me," he commented, openly.

" I'm not studying you, I'm just..." From that moment, Kyra fixed her eyes on the blue carpet.

" Evaluating my ugliness?" He offered scornfully.

Kyra's eyebrows shot up. " I never thought you were ugly," she remarked softly. " I just think you should take a bit more care of yourself. But I saw your hair the way it really is and your chest...now I realize you want to look like that!"

Without letting his face or voice betray the turmoil her words had caused to stir in him, he asked, " Would you like to know why?"

" Yes," she replied simply, watching him with great interest.

" Well I'll tell you. People hate me, Miss Gardner. They hate me before and after they get to know me well. If I have an ugly appearance, that'll make the painful process of their curiosity turning to hatred go much quicker."

The woman frowned and she held out a hand towards him, stopping in midair as she realized that, even after all that had happened, he was still her professor. " That's just awful, Professor!" She protested.

Snape shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. " No, it is not. And, besides, it helps me scare children."

She was quiet for a few seconds. " So you keep your hair greasy and everything... I can't say I agree with your reasons..."

" Why?" He interrupted.

" Because I know you and I don't hate you, the entire opposite, I love your company," said Kyra, looking at him straight in the eye.

Severus couldn't fully comprehend what was it he saw in her eyes, but he knew it pierced him right through the heart. His body reacted as if it had been charged with electricity. Tears sprung to his eyes, his throat got tight and the gentlest sense of peace settled over him like a blanket. No one had ever looked at him like that, no one had ever said those words to him.

" Miss Gardner..." he whispered, his voice lacking its usual firmness. " I..."

" Don't worry, I'll keep your secret about everything that happened here last night..." she hurried to speak, not wanting him to say anything or she wouldn't be able to keep her emotions at bay any longer.

Snape seemed to understand and noticed she was about to add something. " But?"

" But… will you be OK? I mean, last night you were seriously ill and I don't intend to know why, but… are you sure it won't happen again?" She asked anxiously.

Her concern for his well-being touched Severus and he had to struggle to keep in control. " No, I am not. But I am fine now and I trust I will be able to heal again the next time it happens, if it happens," he replied.

Kyra nodded. " I… I have to go, breakfast will be served in half an hour and I have to get ready."

" Are you planning on attending classes today?"

" Yeah…"

" After the night you've just had you could remain in your room. I'm sure Albus will find a way to excuse you…" he suggested, but she shook her head.

" No, I'm OK. And I could say the same thing to you, but I bet it's not gonna work."

He gave her a half-smile. " You are correct."

" Then I will see you at the dungeons..."

" Don't be tardy," he reminded her before she crossed the threshold and was out of his sight.

***

" What's wrong with you, Ky?" Asked John.

Kyra yawned for the 156th time that morning. " What do you mean?" She asked, suddenly realizing she was sitting at the DADA class.

" You didn't participate in class today, not even once! And I know you had done the assignments, we did them together."

She sighed. " I know, Johnny."

" Then what is it?" Asked Marianne.

" You seem… spaced out," added Hélène.

" It's nothing, guys. Really. I'm just a little tired, I didn't sleep well last night," she replied. 

Well, that much was true. She wasn't lying to them, just holding back some information.

" Oh, then Snape is definitely going to brighten your day! I bet he doesn't sleep either and spends all his nights planning new sadist schemes..."

" Oh, cut the man some slack, John!" Kyra snapped.

She was tired, irritable and her muscles ached horribly. Of course, she wasn't supposed to take it out on her three awed-looking friends, but John's comment had definitely touched a nerve. 

' If you only knew how the poor man spent last night,' she thought. Before she knew, she had stood up and left the classroom, entirely surprising her friends and Professor Lupin.

It was at the dungeons where they met again. Kyra was already inside, along with some other Slytherins, preparing her things for the class ahead, but only able to think of Snape.

" Ky, you're definitely not OK," said John, coming to stand by her and her cauldron.

" I'll live, John," she replied shortly, just as the Potions Master entered the classroom, doing his best to keep his eyes from darting towards Kyra's figure. The boy had no other choice but to leave her and go to sit behind her. 

Severus, tired as he was, didn't even feel like assigning a complex potion. Instead, he chose to remind his students of the upcoming NEWTS.

" Of primary importance," he said, " is that you get top grades on your NEWTS. Of course, I do not expect any of you to understand its relevance at this point. All you know about is eating candies, talking nonsense and having a broomstick between your legs! " 

At that point, John burst into laughter. Snape nearly floated until he was towering over the young Gryffindor.

" Is there something amusing Mister Reid? Do share," he said sternly.

" I'm sorry, Professor," he muttered, turning red in embarrassment.

Severus looked pleased. " My, my, someone has quite the gutter mind," he mocked. " Sweet Merlin, Mr. Reid, you make Longbottom look like the epitome of intelligence!"

" I do not appreciate comparisons of such kind, Professor," replied John, glowering at him.

" Ten points from Gryffindor for your audacity. _Quo usque tandem abutere_, Mr. Reid, _patientia nostra_?" Rhetorically asked Snape, walking away from the boy's desk.

" Beg you pardon?" Asked John and, angry at not receiving an answer, was about to call out for Snape and not in a very nice way.

Trying to avoid a scene, Kyra turned to him. " He's asking for how long will you continue to abuse our patience, Johnny," she whispered to the Gryffindor as low as she could.

It was not low enough, though. Severus Snape had always taken pride on his highly-developed sense of hearing and he had caught Kyra's words. Now she had managed to literally knock the wind out of him; since when eighteen-year-olds knew Latin?

As he turned, eyeing her with an exploratory look, Kyra knew he had heard her and braced herself for what was about to come.

" Is proficiency in Latin another of your many talents, Miss Gardner?" He sneered. But Ky knew him better than that and could tell the man was bewildered.

" No, Sir. My father... he studied Latin when he was young and I just loved hearing him recite in that language. I guess I picked something up from that," she replied softly.

" Then give me a reason why I should not punish your friend. In Latin," he commanded.

" _Sunt pueri pueri, puerilia tractant._ (Children are children, children do childish things). There is no need to punish anyone for that," said Kyra, after thinking for a few seconds. " _E__rrare humanum est,_ Professor. It was just a laugh, there was no harm done."

Snape's brows arched. " Very impressive, Miss Gardner. However, " r_isu inepto res ineptior nulla est._ (There is nothing more foolish than a foolish laugh)," he stated.

Kyra understood what he meant and, tactfully, dropped the subject, remaining silent.

" Good. _Praeceptores suos adulescens veneratur et suspicit._ (A young man respects and looks up to his teachers)."

She just smiled.

" Detention for a week, Mr. Reid. Oh, and do bring gloves... there are many jars I need to have cleaned and only Merlin knows what I used to store in them."

John wrinkled his nose but made no comment and the rest of the class went on as usual. When the bell rang, Snape addressed at them once again. " And remember: _Assiduus usus uni rei deditus et ingenium et artem saepe vincit_ (Constant practice devoted to one subject often outdoes both intelligence and skill)."

Kyra left the classroom smiling, followed close by John.

Having walked only a few paces from the classroom, a voice called out for her. " Hey, Gardner!"

She turned and so did John, only to face a sneering Pomroy Parkinson.

" You can show off your intelligence all you like. It doesn't change the fact that you are a..." he started, but was cut short by John.

" Got a problem, Parkinson?"

" I was only talking to your little mudblood friend," he said, causing many Slytherins to laugh contemptuously.

" You better look out or you'll have no tongue left, you filthy lowlife bastard," warned the Gryffindor, pulling out his wand.

Kyra decided to intervene. " Ignore him, Johnny... let's go," she said, and dragged him behind her.

But as soon as they had left the dungeons, they faced Pomroy's sister, Pansy, and Draco Malfoy.

" Oh, here comes Head Girl," she mocked.

" Really, a mudblood as Head Girl. This place is going to the dogs!" He snorted.

Kyra had to stop John, who was about to make a dive for the boy's carotide before speaking. " Fac et vives (get a life), Malfoy."

She then strode away with John, leaving the 3rd year Slytherins staring at her in awe. Well, if they ever found out what she dared to do a month later...

***

A million thanks to all my readers/reviewers! Even if I do have fun writing this story, you are the ones who make the whole process worth it. Please keep telling me what you think.

Love, Jeanne.


	15. Good Conversation

**Chapter fifteen: Good conversation.**

The end of February was approaching and one night found Kyra standing outside Professor Snape's door. Feeling rather stupid, she was contemplating whether to knock or not. She had confidently left her room in his' direction, but the lower she descended in the castle, the more doubts assailed her. 

' What if he doesn't even like my company?' Her mind asked, but she had no answers to give it. The door looked positively forbidding, and Kyra almost turned back. ' Just go in,' her mind whispered. This was not the time for timidity, she decided, and, before she could change her mind, she reached out and opened the door.

" Miss Gardner," greeted his voice. " I was beginning to think you were a victim of _petrificus totalus_ out there." 

" I… I didn't think you were in," she fumbled, turning crimson red.

" As you may have realized by now, I very well am. Do come in… finally." 

Kyra couldn't help but smile, she should have known that he was aware of her presence; he always seemed to. His voice had come from the bedroom, so she stepped towards it, noticing that it was indeed open.

" Yes, Professor," she answered and stepped inside. In front of the fire, she saw his dark form unfold and stand at its full height, backlit by the warmly lit hearth.

The man studied her, taking in her ruffled hair, bare feet and heavy fleece pajamas. She looked troubled about something, yet her unkempt beauty managed to charge his body with an electricity he tried to will away.

" What are you doing here?" he asked a bit roughly. " And at this time of the night?"

" I had another nightmare and, since I couldn't go back to sleep, I was looking for a good conversation," she whispered and heard him snicker.

" And you thought you'd find one here?"

Kyra smiled. " I've always had interesting conversations with you before," she told him.

He was silent for just long enough to cause her to shift from one foot to another and back again before he answered. His first reaction was a grunt.

" Very well," he said in the weary tones of one granting a great boon for which they know they can never be repaid. " But I'll have you know that your friend Reid is a fascinating conversationalist," Snape informed her dryly.

" I was looking for a bit more adult conversation," she replied softly. The girl refused to believe it was jealousy what was oozing from her professor's comment.

He seemed satisfied with her answer. " Very well. You mentioned something about a nightmare, was it like the previous ones?" His tone immediately shifted to a concerned one. Unbelievable as it might be, Kyra was getting used to seeing a different side of Snape than the one everyone was used to endure.

" No... I think it had to do with my grandmother," she replied with a somber sigh that pierced Severus' heart. " Mom was there, dad too, but I can't remember what it was about..."

" Do you miss you home?" He asked gently.

" Yeah. I never realize how much I'm going to miss everyone until I'm actually gone, you know?"

He nodded as if he understood, but in reality he had no idea what she meant. He had never had anyone close enough to him to actually miss.

" I feel lonely at times," she went on. I mean, I have my friends and I see my family during the holidays, but... It's hard being alone," Kyra confessed with another sigh.

Snape knew exactly what she meant. His loneliness, though chosen, was sometimes unbearable; those times he chastised himself for being so weak. After years of living like he did, he should be used to that feeling. But he wasn't.

" If you only knew..." he whispered.

Kyra looked at her professor with her eyebrows drawn together. " What did you say?"

" It is of no consequence," he replied. 

The look on his face told her the subject was closed and she clenched her fists, frustrated. It seemed as if her professor had made a comment of personal nature and she had missed it. She, who was always trying to figure out the mystery Snape was, had missed a wonderful opportunity of getting to know a bit more about him. That infuriated her to no end.

Looking around, her eyes came to rest on a book that was lying open on his desk.

" What were you reading?" She asked him.

" Famous Muggle Roman lecturer, Marco Tulius Ciceronis' Catilinaries."

Kyra smiled, recognizing the name. " More Latin..." she said.

" Indeed, I happen to know his work by memory, specially his writings on the day of the final judgment," Snape commented.

Kyra looked at him, eyes full of plea. " Will you...? I mean, I'd love to hear a bit of it."

He eyed her intensely for a few seconds before clearing his throat and starting to speak in a low, velvety voice that completely enthralled his listener.

_" Tuba mirum spargens sonum  
per sepulchra regionum,  
coget omnes ante thronum.  
Mors stupebit et natura,  
cum resurget creatura,  
judicanti responsura._

(The trumpet mighty blast shall send,  
through all the regions of the dead,  
to summon all before the throne.  
Then death and nature dazed shall be,  
when from their gravesall men shall rise,  
to answer to their judge's charge.)"

As his declaiming progressed, Kyra dazedly stood up from the seat she had chosen and closed the distance between them by sitting next to him on the black couch. She drank from his words until the echo of the last one died on his lips. At that point, she realized she was seated very close to him and his proximity was extremely comforting; in fact, she had an urge to rest her head on his shoulder, but she didn't know how he would take that. She didn't know what her reason was to be thinking of doing something like that anyway, but she loved Severus and nothing else mattered right then.

Noticing their gazes had met and locked in a way that she found simply too personal, Kyra blinked hurriedly and uttered a " Recite something more, please, Professor!"

That pleased the Potions Master, though this time, he chose a less absorbing topic. Seeing her so enchanted by his words and feeling her closeness were definitely two factors that dangerously brought nearly to cero the result of his self-control.

" _Postremo pensandum  
Quanta doctrinae commoditas sit in libris  
Quam facilis, quam arcana!  
Quam tuto libris humanae ignorantia paupertatem  
sine verecundia denudamus!  
Hi sunt magistri qui nos instruunt  
sine virgis et ferula,  
sine verbis et cholera, sine pannis et pecunia.  
si accedis, non dormiunt;  
Si inquirens interrogas, non abscondunt;  
Non remurmurant si oberres;  
Cachinnos nesciunt, si ignores._   
  
(And finally, one must consider how great the ease of learning   
there is in books, how yielding, how trusty!   
How safely we reveal, without shyness, in the face of our books  
the poverty of our human ignorance!  
They are teachers who instruct us without switches or rods,  
without slaps or anger, without notice of rags or riches.  
If you approach them, they are not asleep;  
If you ask a question, they do not hide;  
They do not mutter at you if you make a mistake;   
When you are ignorant, they do not know how to laugh at you.)"

When he finished, none of them spoke for a while.

" Wow..." muttered Kyra at last. " That was great, professor. Though I liked the first one better, this sure was accurate," she commented.

Severus laughed lightly. " If only your classmates bothered to look into books every once in a while."

Kyra smiled brightly at him. " Some of them try really hard, you know?" She commented. His only answer was a grunt and she went on. " Though some of them could make your job easier and study for a change."

" It is frustrating, Miss Gardner," he acknowledged with a tired look, " seeing how they waste their time, not caring about their futures."

" Some of us do care," she said softly, impulsively placing a hand on his forearm. 

None of them moved or spoke for what seemed centuries; they were too entranced by the feeling of that contact as to react in any way.

Kyra was the first one to do so.

" I... I have to leave now. It's very late," she whispered and stood up, removing swiftly her hand from the place were it had been resting a few seconds earlier.

Severus immediately missed its warmth and felt like asking her to stay. Then, he felt like slapping himself. How could he do such thing? What would she think?

' More important,' his mind pointed out, ' is why you want her to stay. What do you want her for?'

' Her company... I enjoy it,' he confessed inwardly.

But he knew there was more to it than just that. And he also knew that was impossible. He was cursed to be alone for all of eternity, and the proof of it was the revolting mark on his forearm. It wasn't visible, but he could still feel it...

" Yes, indeed. Good night Miss Gardner," he forced himself to answer.

" Good night professor. And thank you for tonight," Kyra replied, whirling around and leaving the room.

After a few seconds, he made up his mind, stood up and silently followed her, telling himself he was doing it out of concern about her safety. But once she had entered her room and he was left standing outside the door, he couldn't bring himself to return to his chambers. He simply stood there for what seemed hours until his heart dictated the next course of action.

Knowing that what he was about to do was completely forbidden, that it meant trespassing every boundary and that it would mean cracking his iron self-control, Severus Snape lifted his wand, undoing Kyra's door locking spells and entered her room.


	16. I watch her sleep

**Chapter sixteen: I watch her sleep.**

I watch her sleep.

The moonlight dances across her features and their exquisiteness awes me. Her face as she sleeps is an item of unsurpassed beauty. She looks so serene, angelic even, that I long to lie beside her and wrap her in my arms, never to let her go. But I can't. I'm old, disgusting, evil… I don't deserve her.

She smiles in her sleep and I wonder what happy dreams come to her. Dreams that will forever be denied to me. Dreams she will never share with a sour potions master.

I try to find solace in the thought that she doesn't hate me, she herself said so. She has turned up to be one of the very few people who seem to be able to stomach more than a few minutes in my company. What is more, things have changed between us and we are now... friends. Yes, that would be the term, I suppose. I never had many, nor did I care about it but now... knowing that she and I have become closer manages to send me into emotions I never thought I was able to experience.

But I'm not supposed to feel this way towards her. Maybe I shouldn't have tried to get closer to her. By the Mark, I shouldn't even be doing this, but I need to. Just the idea of being close to her... Merlin, I do want her. But I need her too. More than that, I love her. 

I can't remember feeling for anyone the way I feel about her. I probably have. Or maybe not. I can't imagine anybody else, any other woman, getting under my skin like this, making me feel like this. It's not something I can put my finger on, either. It's some nebulous, amazing force that makes Kyra stronger, smarter, more beautiful than any other woman alive or dead. 

A piece of hair falls across her face and I gently push it back. I long to climb into bed with her. I want to lay there with her forever, just the two of us. But then again, I can't. She's my student, and she has never shown a sign of liking me. Of course, who-ever could? She has given me the gift of her friendship, that should be enough.

But it isn't. I need you so much, Kyra.


	17. Evil scheme

AN: sorry everyone for the previous chapter's briefness. This one's quite short as well, but I swear things get very interesting after this, so please don't give up on me! 

**Chapter seventeen: Evil scheme.**

It was the coldest night in years for being March. Three figures, clad in long black robes were standing in the pressing silence of Malfoy Manor's woods.

" Why have you contacted us?" Asked the first man.

" I needed to know whether or not you are still loyal to our Dark Lord," was the hushed answer.

At that, the third man snapped. " How can you ask such question? Of course we are, but we cannot go around looking for him..."

A wry laugh interrupted him. " I will not risk my neck, Avery, that I can assure you. But, then, you do believe he is bound to return."

" Absolutely."

" Your certitude comforts me, MacNair. Very well, you are here for I am aware of certain... developments that could be faithful to our cause. Just because our Lord is away does not mean we have to merely stand cross-armed."

" Then speak, Malfoy."

After a pause in which the air filled with tension, Lucius spoke, " Are you familiar with Shekhsmet's Phoenix?"

Avery shot him a perplexed look. " Only by name… it was supposed to be the true incarnation of fire and an extremely powerful creature guarded by the Order of Shekhsmet."

Lucius nodded. " That is correct. The Order of Shekhsmet had instructions to find a different receptacle for the Phoenix's spirit every generation. They did a good job in hiding it for hundreds of years, mostly in muggle babies, who would grow up and die without knowing the power that rested inside of them. But last time, the Phoenix refused to be imprisoned once again and they could barely hold it back; they managed to do so and placed the Phoenix life-force inside a child, whose identity was unknown," he explained.

MacNair shifted from one foot to another, impatiently waiting for him to finish. " So, how is this any of our interest?" He asked.

" That the muggle's identity is Kyra Gardner, a student at Hogwarts. It makes perfect sense… even though the girl comes from a straight line of muggles, she carries inside a mystical wizarding creature."

The other two men's eyes widened at that piece of information. " How did you find out?" They asked in unison.

" I have contacts," was all Lucius said.

" And I believe you have found an use for that… person," hinted Avery.

A gust of chilly wind forced Malfoy to fasten his robes before going on, " Certainly. Since it was locked against its will, it has been believed that once the recipient reached adulthood and, with the proper stimulus, the Phoenix could take over."

" What's her age?" Asked MacNair with an avid look in his cold eyes.

" 18. Soon, very soon the Phoenix will rise from its ashes. And, being so powerful, can be the most elemental weapon for our Lord's war."

" Impressive, Malfoy. But I have heard that the Phoenix is originally a pristine force and that it is made of that pure energy our Lord hates so much," Avery pointed out.

Lucius smiled, as if he had expected that. " What would happen, then, if we corrupted, tainted, that energy...?"

" It shall help us win the war," concluded MacNair. " Then we must start working on this matter at once."

" Yes, I will. The power within her is… like nothing the world has ever seen before. Too bad the girl's got such a temper. She will not be easy to control," commented Lucius, shaking his head.

Avery snorted. " Torture her, cast a spell on her, I don't care. Just force her to pledge allegiance to the Dark Lord."

" We could, but we would never be able to… have power over her entirely. We need to break her first and then leave her no choice but to turn to us." 

" And how will we do that? You said she's too strong-willed."

" She has become very close to Severus Snape, MacNair. Maybe we could use that."

Avery's lips turned into a smirk. " Close? How close?"

Lucius smiled placidly. " Not to the point of having an affair, I believe. But what if everybody thought they were?"

_______________________

Please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	18. Injustice

AN: sorry for the update delay!!!! To make it up to you, I've written an extra long chapter. Enjoy and review, pretty please.

**Chapter eighteen: Injustice.**

" Kyra! If you're not out here in one minute we're leaving without you. My stomach's practically digesting itself!" Screamed a starved John Reid. 

" Johnny, that is impossible," retorted Kyra silkily, appearing from inside her room, wearing her school uniform and an indulgent smile on her lips.

" Very witty, princess. Now can we please leave? I swear it takes you longer each day to get ready."

" Well, it's April," she stated. " In spring, baby boy, we girls like to look our best."

" You always do," was his soft compliment.

Kyra let out a short laugh. " That's not what Pomroy Parkinson and the rest of his cronies think."

" All those dolts can kiss my... wand," he concluded after Kyra shot him a warning glance.

With that, they entered the Great Hall and located Marianne and Hélène and the four of them sat at the Gryffindor Table. Eating together was their Sunday routine. Kyra hurried through her usual orange juice and half a toast before darting out towards the library; she needed to get started with her Potions homework.

As she left the Great Hall, Dumbledore rose from his chair and followed her, the twinkle in his eyes replaced by a disturbed look.

" Miss Gardner?" He called out for her.

She turned around and faced the aged wizard. " Oh, good morning Headmaster. What can I do for you?" She asked, in that fresh and carefree voice.

Dumbledore hated being the one who would change that. " Hogwarts' Board of Governors is having an extraordinary meeting and they have requested your presence," he informed her.

Kyra was surprised. " Me? What for?"

" That I cannot tell you, dear," he said, and looked down.

Noticing that there was something deeply troubling Dumbledore and, not wanting to add another burden to him, she nodded obediently. " I'll go, Sir."

" Good. Follow me." He seemed relieved, but he walked before her with slumped shoulders and Kyra wondered what could be happening.

' I hope it's nothing serious…' she thought.

Some moments later, they reached an impressive mahogany door, which's threshold Kyra had never crossed before. Dumbledore opened it and she faced a large table; the Governors, most of whom she didn't know, were sitting on one side, while on the other one there was a single chair. Something told her it was meant for her.

" Be strong, child," she heard the Headmaster whisper before the heavy door closed behind her.

After leaving her, Albus hurried towards Severus' office, where he found him, sitting behind his desk, grading papers with a tired expression on his face.

" Severus," he greeted him and went on talking before the other man had the chance to reply. " I should have warned you before. Now it's too late," he mysteriously stated.

Snape sighed, exasperated and looked up. " Do try to be a bit more clear, Albus." 

" Do you know what the Board is doing as we speak?" Asked the older wizard.

" I really haven't got a clue. So, if you'd please stop beating around the bush like you seem to be so fond of doing, and tell me..." 

" This… relationship you have with Miss Gardner, well, the Board of Governors is aware of it and... they think it goes beyond friendship."

It took a while before Severus was able to process Dumbledore's words. " That is ludicrous! She is my student, for crying out loud!" He exploded once he did.

Albus shook his head slowly. " Still, the Board thinks…"

Snape's glance was frigid. " I have yet to recall a moment when I actually cared what someone thought of my actions, Albus. I can assure you I won't start now." 

" They have met to discuss the issue and now they are talking to Kyra," was all Dumbledore said.

" She will tell them the truth: that there is nothing going on between us!"

The Headmaster started pacing around the room. " They think she would lie to protect you."

" Again, what they think is of no consequence, the truth..."

" It is not just what they think. They are taking actions right now," interrupted Albus.

Severus' brows furrowed. " Actions? Of what kind?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

" A decision has already been taken. She will be presented with two options: whether she leaves Hogwarts immediately, and never practices magic again or _you_ leave Hogwarts and they prevent the two of you from any further contact with a spell."

Staring at Albus, it took him a very long while to react. Severus couldn't believe what he was hearing; it just couldn't be for real. " No… no… y-your not serious… are you?" He stuttered.

" I'm afraid I am."

" But that… that is STUPID!!!!!! I have never heard anything so ludicrous in my entire life!!!!!!!! Haven't they thought how this will affect K... Miss Gardner? How dare they be so condemning without proofs!" Ranted Snape, slamming his fist against his desk.

Dumbledore sigh tiredly. " I agree with you, and I've told them so... I really tried, I offered them every proof of trust, presented each option that came to my mind... but it was to no avail."

" I'm going to go in there right now and give them a piece of my mind…" Said the Potions Master resolutely, getting up and striding towards the door.

The Headmaster moved to intercept him and placed a soothing hand on his shoulder. " Severus, while that would be a relief to you, it would only make matters worse. Something tells me we are not only dealing with the Governors on this and we need to remain calm, allow them to think we are defeated and only then, take matters in our own hands."

" But, in the meantime, whether it is Miss Gardner or me, someone will suffer the consequences of this calumny."

" We both know, Severus, what her choice will be. She is too altruistic as to let you deal with this burden... she will leave," stated Dumbledore.

That did little to comfort Snape; the entire opposite, just the thought of Kyra leaving, of Kyra being forced to endure such a disgraceful situation caused his throat to get tight and his eyes to feel the prickle of impotence tears. He turned his back on Albus, but the aged wizard seemed to be able to read his emotions.

" It is the only way, son," he continued. " She will be crushed, and possibly resented against all of us, but I cannot think of any other way to deal with this issue for the time being. Once we solve this matter, we will bring her back and make things up for her, we _will_ find a way," he reassured him.

But for Severus, each word Albus was saying sounded like another nail in his coffin. Like another gunshot into his heart. Severus turned to him, all of the anger and bitterness gone from his face; instead, traces of defeat and sadness were all that remained.

" I understand," he said, in what was barely above a whisper. The slumped shoulders and pained look on Severus' face told Albus how much this was truly hurting the man before him.

***

Kyra left the room the meeting had taken place in very pale and nauseated. How could that be happening to her? And most important, why? What had he done to deserve such treatment? She had only befriended the most unlikely person and now everyone thought they were...

" I didn't agree with the board, Miss Gardner," came a soft whisper from behind her.

She swirled around to find Lucius Malfoy looking at her with a pained look. (One hell of an actor, isn't he?) But Kyra didn't know his true intentions that and his words lit a twinkle of hope in her heart. Someone believed her.

" Why?" She asked, on what seemed more like a sob.

" Because I know Severus and he wouldn't do anything inappropriate, even if that restraint ended up killing him," he stated. Kyra smiled, knowing that Malfoy was utterly correct. " And I also know you are a young lady of high morals, who would never consent to such a degrading relationship as a secret affair with a professor is," he concluded.

Kyra looked at him, her eyes filled with gratitude. " You, and probably the Headmaster, are the only ones who think that way."

" That is because we see the true you. For example, the choice you made, it was very brave from you..."

" Leaving was the only option, I'd never be so selfish as to get Professor Snape fired. I don't know what I'm going to do not, though," she said, trying to fight back the bitter tears that flooded her expressive eyes.

Lucius stepped closer to her. " You know I'm no longer a Governor, Miss Gardner. However, I still do have some influences and I was informed this morning of these... developments that would take place. I procured this for you... in case you needed it. Now, I'm glad I did," he said, handing a Kyra a large piece of paper, elegantly typed and very official-looking.

Her eyes widened once she realized it was a certificate of having finished Highschool in a very renowned Enligsh school. " Oh my God, Mr. Malfoy...this is... how can I repay you?"

He made a dismissing sign with his hand and stepped even closer to her. " There is nothing to thank. However, I hope this isn't the end, Miss Gardner, and that we can keep in touch. I seem to have grown rather fond of your companionship."

Kyra was lost in his gray eyes. " It won't be. After this you have done for me... how could I ever forget?"

Lucius sensed someone coming and chose to take off before anyone suspected anything. " Then I will keep in touch, Kyra," he said, taking her hand and kissing it, before 

Kyra felt rooted to the spot. A shiver was sent down her spine as she thought about that voice, the way it had said her name. And those lips, pressing against her hand's soft skin...

Before she was out of her trance, a robed figure, wearing half moon spectacles stood in front of her. " Miss Gardner…" Dumbledore noticed she looked weary and a lot older than her real age at that time.

" Please, Headmaster, don't tell me you believe in this… nonsense as well," she pleaded.

Placing a soothing hand on her shaky shoulders, he led her into his office. There, Fawkes greeted her by flying to perch on a chair next to her and nuzzling himself against her. He had always been very demonstrative towards Kyra, it was as if they shared a profound, intense bond. It had surprised her and Dumbledore at first; Fawkes was always kind to Dumbledore's guests, but he had never showed such an open liking for anyone but his owner.

This time, the smart bird must have sensed there was something wrong with Kyra, because it looked straight into her eyes, as if searching for something deep in her soul and then let out a soft murmur. It sounded strangely sad, but it comforted the heartbroken girl, even if she didn't know why or how.

" Take a seat, Miss Gardner," offered Dumbledore without taking his eyes off the couple she and the Phoenix formed. They looked… good together, as if they complemented each other, as if they were one. 

" Lemon drop?" He asked, presenting a plate full of the candies.

Kyra looked up at him with her eyebrows arched and the plate disappeared. Despite the awful situation that had brought her to his office, he couldn't less but smile inwardly at her glare. 

' It's obvious she's been learning from the master,' he thought a bit amused, before turning his attention back to the grave problem the girl was facing. He hated himself for what he was about to do: he had to let her go, without even trying to retain her at the school.

" This is most unfortunate, my dear," he declared.

Kyra's eyes filled with tears once again. " We never did anything inappropriate, Headmaster! We were just friends!" She protested.

Dumbledore nodded. " I know, Severus himself told me that. But this is unprecedented. I don't recognize the Board anymore..."

" Then this is it?" She asked in disbelief. She had expected her Headmaster to come out with a miraculous solution.

" I'm so sorry, child, but there is nothing I can do against the Board's decision," he said firmly, his voice never betraying how much the situation was hurting him.

" It's OK," she whispered after a long pause.

" Such a pity you have to leave like this," he allowed himself to whisper. " Is there anything you might need? I can get you documents, whatever you might need to build a life back in the muggle world," he offered.

" No, thank you. I've already taken care of that."

A lonely, quiet tear fell across her pale cheek and it tore Dumbledore's heart. He didn't know what to do, how to comfort her; apparently, Fawkes did, because he snuggled closer to her and wiped the tear away with its golden feathers. Kyra stroked him gratefully and stood up.

" I'll pack my things and leave tomorrow morning." 

He cleared his throat. " Yes, I believe all the arrangements have been made." 

Kyra nodded and offered him a shaky hand. " Thank you… for everything, Headmaster," she managed to say, looking into his eyes.

He took her delicate hand, and put every ounce of affection and warmth in the firm shake he gave her. 

" Good luck, Kyra, I know you will excel in everything you set out to accomplish," he said, almost with fatherly pride.

She nodded and gave him a faint smile. " Bye, Fawkes," she told the phoenix. It emitted another mellifluous hum and then flew back to his perch. She could have sworn there were tears in its eyes.

' His tears can heal many wounds, but not mine,' she reflected goomily.

Looking at Dumbledore one more time, she realized the old man looked very much like his bird. Warmth spread towards her as she ran and embraced him.

" Goodbye, Sir," she whispered, disentangling herself from his arms and darting out of the office.

For over thirty minutes from that moment, Headmaster Dumbledore would remain standing there in complete silence, tears of grief and impotence running down his wrinkled cheeks.

***

As soon as door closed behind her, Kyra steadied herself against a wall before running to the Gryffindor Tower. There, she stood in front of the Fat Lady portrait and threatened to curse her if she didn't let her through. Fortunately, there was no need for such drastic measures, since John was coming out, Transfigurations book in hand and whistling cheerfully.

" Ky, love, what is it?" He asked, upon noticing she was on the verge of tears.

" Go find Marianne and Hélène, then meet me at the Astronomy Tower," she commanded, not even meeting his eyes. After casting her a worried glance, he complied and hurried inside.

Ten minutes later, the Ravenclaw and the two Gryffindors were there, looking as if they had endured a twenty-mile marathon. The three of them were very worried; what could have upset their friend so much?

" Kyra?" Called out John.

" Over here," she answered.

The guys run to where her voice was coming from and found her. Kyra was sitting down on the dusty floor, leaning against a wall, while watching the quiet scenery of the lake and forest. She had brought her knees up and was hugging them with both arms.

In a split-second, John had kneeled next to her, followed by Marianne and Hélène.

" Ky, love, tell us... What is it?"

She raised a tear-stained face to look at him. " I'm leaving," she said simply.


	19. I wish I felt nothing

**Chapter nineteen: I wish I felt nothing.**

" What?" Was Marianne's awed question, followed by John's " WHAT?" and Hélène's " WHAT?!"

She let out a tired sigh. " What you heard, guys, I'm leaving Hogwarts tomorrow morning."

Marianne asked the first thing that popped up in her mind. " You're going home in the middle of the NEWTs preparations?"

Kyra shook her head sadly. " No, I'm leaving the School for good."

A long silence followed her words, as their truth sunk into her friends' brains. John was the first to break it.

" W-what? You've been expelled?"

" No… I'll tell you everything, if you promise not to interrupt me. Otherwise, I won't have enough strength to finish it…" Whispered Kyra.

As her astonished audience simply nodded, she proceeded to tell them about her meeting with the Governors and everything that had been resolved. With the end of the story, her voice became nothing but a whisper and John couldn't hold it anymore.

" That's the single most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! As if you were going to have anything to do with the old bat!" He exploded.

" Johnny, don't. He is a victim in this, just like I am," Kyra muttered.

Marianne shook her head violently and let out a profanity, a rare thing in her. " Victim of those bastards! How dare they do such a thing to you?"

" Why didn't you choose the other option? No one here likes him anyway," asked Hélène.

" Because it would have been selfish, because he is a wonderful teacher, because I don't need magic…" started mumbling Kyra, but John stood up and starting pacing. 

" There has to be something we can say, something we can do! We can't let them win this!" He protested heatedly.

" Can't you see? Not even Dumbledore was able to help me. They've already won," said Ky, adding a defeated sigh at the end of her sentence.

" But… it's only three months until graduation!"

She shrugged. " I know, Marianne… no one seems to care, though."

" We can't let you go, Ky… I _won't_ let you go!" Exclaimed John. " I'll miss you so much!

" I will miss you too."

She started crying freely then. John took her sobbing form in his arms. He cradled her, trying to imprint all his love in that embrace, while he violently ranted about the injustice of the whole decision. Marianne kept asking her to stop crying, shedding her own tears at the same time and Hélène just sat there by her side, not crying because she was too proud to, but not talking either; even for the optimist, there was no bright side there to look at. She just desperately tried to find a way to fix things. It was useless, of course.

" Bastards! They deserve to die for making you cry like this!" She ended up shouting in frustration.

" Yes... this is too undeserved!" Whispered Marianne.

" I'll kill them," was John's somber conclusion.

Kyra took a deep breath and stood up. " Now, now, let's not get irrational. I have to leave now... I'm supposed to leave tomorrow morning and there's a lot to pack..." she lost strength there and her phrase was left hanging in the air.

" OK," said John, standing up as well with a resolute expression. " We'll go change and then we'll see you at your room. I don't know about you, girls, but I think we should spend together our last night as a group."

Hélène and Marianne promptly agreed and that proof of loyalty and love warmed Kyra's heart. 

" Oh, guys, you're amazing!" She said, throwing her arms around all three of them. " Just wait after curfew to come, OK? It's easier not to be seen."

" Sure. We'll be there," assured Hélène.

Smiling through her tear-filled eyes, Kyra turned and ran out of the Astronomy Tower, leaving her friends to discuss the unfairness of what had just happened. 

There was one more person she needed to see.


	20. You're the door to my very soul

AN: Again, sorry for the delay, but I've been on vacation... Miami Beach's sooooooooo lovely!!!!! Anyways, thanks a lot to all of you who took the time to review the previous chapter and HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Chapter twenty: ****You're the door to my very soul.**

Kyra descended into the dungeons in a semi-conscious state of mind. But the sight of his partly-opened door brought her back to her senses and she questioned whether or not she was doing the right thing. After all, crossing that threshold had put her in that awful situation.

" But I can't leave without seeing him," she told herself and lightly pushed the door open.

Snape was sitting in front of the fire with his back to her, obviously lost in deep thought and Kyra hesitated once again. She wasn't sure if he wanted to see her after everything that had happened. But her feet seemed to have a mind of their own, since they resolutely advanced until she was standing only a meter away from he professor.

" You shouldn't be here, Miss Gardner," he said gravely, before she could think of something to say.

" Believe me, the thought has crossed my mind, Professor Snape… but I needed to say goodbye to you," she whispered, trying not to sound as unsure and troubled as she felt.

Her voice was a bit raspy and Severus turned slowly, only to find her looking like the most vivid portrait of despair he had seen in years, save for his image in the mirror. Shaky hands, tousled hair, eyes still rimmed with red... Snape knew she must have been crying and that made a strange unease wash over him. He had never wanted to cause her any pain, but having become her friend had done so. Apparently, he was bound to hurt anyone who dared to come close to him. The knowledge of that caused raw guilt to clutch his insides and a deep despair to fill him beyond his senses.

" Aren't you afraid someone will know you are here?" He asked, fixing his obsidian eyes in hers.

Kyra shrugged. " Why? I've already been punished for something I… we didn't do."

" About that…"

" We don't have to talk about it," Kyra said, her eyes filling with the tears she kept fighting back.

" This was utterly unfair and I'm doing everything I can, with the aid of Albus, to get them to reconsider…" He started, but Kyra interrupted him.

" It's too late, Professor. You and the Headmaster know that." Her voice was devoid of emotions, but he had got to know her and he knew it was a mere façade. Her lovely blue eyes were true windows to her soul, a soul he knew was deeply hurt.

" You shouldn't have chosen to leave. I could have found another job," he said, as softly as he could.

She shook her head. " But you like it in here, I never really did, so… Look, I'm extremely angry because they tainted our… friendship, because all this is unfair and I know I'll never forgive the Board. But I can forget, and you bet I will. I'll never think of anything related to Hogwarts again… and I'll be OK," Kyra finished, more to reassure herself than Severus. And he sensed it.

He felt a twinge of pain inside of him at those words. Would she also forget him?

' Of course, you bloody fool!' He scolded himself. ' You must be the one she is most eager to put out of her mind, assuming you were ever there.'

Trying to put aside the sadness that tried to overcome him, he asked her, " What will you do now?"

" Mister Malfoy approached me after that… meeting and he gave me a Certificate of having completed my studies with the greatest honors at a _normal_ Highschool… so I guess I'll go to College," she concluded.

Surprised by what she had just revealed about Lucius, Severus' mind started working at full speed, trying to find the blonde man's hidden intentions. " Where?" He asked, after a few seconds of silence.

" America. My parents live in California, so I guess I'll move back with them and go to UCLA or some University like that," replied Kyra.

Her professor didn't fail to notice how a bright spark of hope returned to her eyes at the mere mention of her country and knew for sure she was already making plans for her future. It was a bittersweet experience for Severus. In one hand, he was proud of her, for being able to hold her head high and think clearly even in a situation like that, but on the other one, he was devastated by the idea of the distance that would separate them.

" It is settled, then," he said, sounding more distraught than he would have liked to.

She nodded and smiled. " Yeah… thanks to Mr. Malfoy. Without his aid I don't know what I would have done."

" You shouldn't trust him, Miss Gardner," he heard himself say, a hint of warning in his tone.

The woman looked surprised. " Why?" She inquired. " I mean, I was destroyed and he helped me. He was really kind and offered his help for anything I might need."

" And didn't you find that strange? Don't forget for him you are nothing but…"

" A mudblood?" She cut him in, arching her expressive eyebrows.

Severus immediately realized of his mistake. " I am sorry, I did not mean to…"

Kyra smiled warmly at him as she made a dismissive sign with her hand. " Oh, Professor! Every single Slytherin thinks of me that way, why wouldn't you?" 

Severus wanted to scream he didn't, that he thought of her as the smartest, bravest and most beautiful woman he had ever met. But he remained silent instead and Kyra went on, " Maybe this injustice has softened his heart towards me."

" I doubt it. Just promise me you won't trust him," he pressed.

" I thought you were friends."

This time, Severus looked surprised by her assumption. " Why would you?"

" I figured all Death Eaters got along quite well," she replied, not noticing she had put herself in evidence, revealing she knew his secret. 

Snape felt the world crumble at his feet. She was aware of what he was, knew the kind of person her professor was... yet, she had said it so naturally. Why wasn't she horrified? And, even more important, how did she find out?"

" How do you know what I am?" He managed to ask and observed how realization dawned on Kyra's face.

" I gave myself away, didn't I?" She said with a chagrined smile. Severus didn't need to answer and Kyra didn't expect him to. " Well, you see, something very weird happened when you were sick..."

With that, she proceeded to tell him everything about that night in which a ray of light had revealed his Mark to her, how Albus had asked her to keep his secret and why she had done so.

" I see," he said tensely once she finished.

" But don't worry, that's OK with me and I won't tell anyone," she hurried to reassure.

Severus only acknowledged her words with a curt nod before speaking. " Now, back to Lucius Malfoy… he… we don't have much contact now. But you shouldn't trust someone who was so close to the Dark Lord," he prompted, knowing instinctively he needed to make her stay away from Malfoy, but how? The only way he could come up with seemed too risky and it would mean telling her one of his greatest secrets.

Severus hesitated for a second. Not many people, other than Dumbledore and Hogwarts' staff, knew that, for if it ever ceased to be a secret, his life would be over. It wasn't that he cherished his life so much, but he definitely didn't want to die like that, not when he still had the chance of saving other from witnessing the horrors he had had to witness.

She knew she was trustworthy. He had given her glimpses of his true self and she never told anyone. Hadn't she kept silent about him being a Death Eater? What was more, hadn't she just given up everything she had worked for, only thinking about him? He had to be honest to her, he owed her that much.

Taking a deep breath, Severus Snape fixed his eyes on hers before saying, " What I am, Miss Gardner, is a spy."


	21. Revelations and goodbye

AN: Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!! I thought it would be cool to start 2004 with a new chappie of this story, so here it is. Best wishes and enjoy!

**Chapter twenty-one: Revelations and goodbye.**

Kyra couldn't suppress a gasp at that. Severus took no notice of it and went on, " I am a Death Eater, but back when the Dark Lord was gaining power, I reported to Albus everything that happened in the meetings so he could alert... whoever needed to be alerted."

" But… you just joined him so you could help Dumbledore?" She asked, with a shaky voice.

" No," he said and looked down.

" Then why did you join him in the first place?" She demanded abruptly.

His head snapped up sharply, the vertebrae cracking loudly in his neck. " Why do you want to know?" He growled.

Kyra didn't answer. " Tell me," she insisted.

For a moment his lips thinned and she thought he was going to turn away from her. But suddenly he smiled a malicious, predatory smile. " Think of this, think of a desire for power, for prestige... and now think of someone who promises you that he will help you, if only you will serve him. Someone who promises glory, power, and protection if you only submit to his will." Severus shrugged. " Like God, who watches over his faithful servants and rewards the righteous... _Homines libenter quod volunt credunt._ (Men believe what they want to.)"

Her head shook in silent protestation. " But… he was evil!"

" Indeed. But I did not care. _Exitus acta probat_. (The outcome justifies the deed.)"

" Then why did you… change your mind?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He pondered whether or not to tell her everything. The story was horrible and it would probably sicken her up to the point in which she wouldn't want to look at him again. But she had to know the truth.

' No,' his heart protested, ' she is so unpolluted, so innocent, so fragile. I could never corrupt her with my darkness.'

Still, in his psyche he knew that Kyra deserved to know the truth. The truth about him, Malfoy and Voldemort. Making up his mind, Severus started talking, not quite daring to look straight at her.

" One night… their target was an Auror, he was ambushed a taken to the Dark Lord's presence. There, they… we… tortured him. As if that wasn't enough, his wife and daughter were raped right in front of him and then killed. I was the one responsible for holding him down and forcing him to look," he confessed.

Kyra stared fixedly at him, disbelief all over her face. " God… what happened to him?" She choked on the words and her hands darted up to cover the base of her neck in a protective gesture.

Severus noticed it and flashed her a bitter smile. " Oh, he survived… he was allowed to continue living. Sometime later I found that he had lost his mind and had to be locked. Because of what I did."

Suddenly, the woman realized her professor must have done something worse than just holding a man down. " What did you do?" She asked, dreading the answer.

" I reached into his brain with my very own fingers, to jumble his memoirs, to affect his reason and senses."

Kyra let out a tormented sigh. " The _Furo Excelsus_ practice. It's a form of torture in which the victim ends up mad, right?"

" I see Lupin has taught you well," he acknowledged before continuing, " The Dark Lord wanted to test me, see if I was strong enough to do that."

" And did you?"

" Yes, I very well did. But something went wrong and instead of playing with his thoughts and memories, I started sensing his emotions. All of a sudden, it was _my_ little girl the one that was being raped, it was the woman _I_ loved the one being slaughtered," he said, his voice quivering in a way Kyra had never heard it do so.

" Oh my God…"

" I was able to fight those feelings back, I did my job and no one suspected anything. But something inside of me changed, Miss Gardner. And… well, I realized I wasn't… that all the power in the world wasn't enough to lure me into doing something like that… again," finished Severus. But Kyra wanted to know more.

" What happened next?"

" I found myself _a fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi_ (A precipice in front, wolves behind.), so I returned to Dumbledore, told him everything and we agreed that I would continue to attend to those… meetings and then tell him every plan Voldemort had."

" To try and stop him," concluded the woman in an awed voice.

Snape nodded slowly. " Exactly. I even told Albus of the night in which the Dark Lord would attack the Potters..."

A faint smile turned up the corners of her mouth. " You saved Harry's life?"

" Not quite so, but, indirectly and regrettably, I contributed to the little pester's survival," he replied, sounding as if he wanted to kick himself for that.

" But if they ever found out…"

" I would have been tortured and killed," said the Potions Master simply.

" You make it sound as if it didn't matter to you," Kyra pointed out.

" _Accipere quam facere praestat injuriam._ (It is better to suffer an injustice than to do an injustice.) Besides, I have nothing to lose, Miss Gardner."

" And hasn't it occurred to you that maybe you have something to gain from life?" She protested. " _Aegroto, dum anima est, spes esse dicitur._ (It is said that for a sick man, there is hope as long as there is life.)"

Their eyes met and their gazes locked. Somehow, that information had brought them closer than any other experience could have, and Kyra felt it. As the electricity grew practically unbearable, she cleared her throat and looked down. " Anyway… that's very brave of you, Professor."

" Oh, yes, I'm a hero." His mouth twisted into a self-deprecating smile and Kyra felt her heart hitch in her chest. 

She watched as slowly, his arm curled outwards, his fingers unfurling, seeking something, anything... she placed her own hand in his and felt the warmth of him spread through her arm. It was a lovely feeling. She would miss him.

" _Ignis aurum probat, miseria fortes viros._ (Fire tests gold; adversity tests strong men.) You are strong, sir." Kyra wasn't sure why she had said that to him, bit Severus seemed to accept her words without any sarcastic comeback.

" And so are you," was all he said, but for Kyra it meant more than any compliment or love declaration ever could.

As he looked at her by his side, holding his hand in hers, so infinitely soft and warm, Severus realized her didn't want to let her go. He knew Potions would be unbearably tiring if she was not there to prove he was actually teaching someone. And his life would be simply insufferable.

He took a deep breath. " Malfoy is a Death Eater as well, but he is not only dangerous because he was the Dark Lord's right hand man. He is dangerous in his own right, cruel, cunning, and scheming. He can administer a terrible torture without any apparent emotion, and shows no remorse. That is the sort of man who is particularly perilous to be associated with... just be careful, Miss Gardner. Stay away from him," he warned her.

Kyra gave him a lopsided smile. " Don't worry, Professor. I'll live in the muggle world and he wouldn't be caught dead leisurely walking at a mall or something like that."

" Take care of yourself, Miss Gardner," said Severus, regarding her with something in his eyes that caused her to swallow hard. 

" I will… thank you," she answered. " For your friendship and concern." 

He nodded. " Now you can go, run away from me and leave this old aberrant man alone. I won't blame you."

" Professor…" she whispered, standing up without even wanting to.

" Go. NOW, Miss Gardner, just GO," he urged her, his tone recovering its sternness.

" Goodbye, Professor," Kyra whispered, stepping towards him. 

He nodded for an answer, not trusting his voice at that moment. She bent and dropped a brief kiss against his cheek, causing him to breath in deeply. Looking at him one more time, she whirled around and fled the dungeons.

Looking back up at the now silent room, Severus sank even deeper in his chair, pulling his dressing gown again tightly round him, as if trying to comfort himself.

" Kyra…" he whispered into the darkness.


End file.
